Rise of the Tablet, Death By Windows 8, Global PC Sales Drop like a Stone.
Ok well maybe not but:
Global PC shipments* plunged 14 percent in the first three months of 2013, according to newly released figures from market research firm IDC.
It's the steepest decline since 1994, when IDC began keeping records for the device. (For rival Gartner's figures, read on.)
Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013, down 13.9 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago, according to IDC. That's far worse than IDC's prediction of a 7.7 percent decline, and the fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year shipment declines.
In IDC's own words:
Despite some mild improvement in the economic environment and some new PC models offering Windows 8, PC shipments were down significantly across all regions compared to a year ago. Fading Mini Notebook shipments have taken a big chunk out of the low-end market while tablets and smartphones continue to divert consumer spending. PC industry efforts to offer touch capabilities and ultraslim systems have been hampered by traditional barriers of price and component supply, as well as a weak reception for Windows 8. The PC industry is struggling to identify innovations that differentiate PCs from other products and inspire consumers to buy, and instead is meeting significant resistance to changes perceived as cumbersome or costly.
In short: Windows 8 was a bust, if success is defined as boosting PC shipments. But it's clear that the market currents are larger and more powerful than Microsoft (or any other single vendor) can manage -- nevermind the fact that its radically different operating system has seen slow adoption.
With Lenovo as an exception, PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard and Dell have been restructuring to accommodate the market shifts. The hardest hit: whitebox system builders.
Here's a look at how it's playing out across the globe:
The United States market contracted 12.7 percent year over year and 18.3 percent quarter over quarter. Total volume fell to 14.2 million. Quarterly shipments reached their lowest level since the first quarter of 2006.
The Europe, Middle East and Africa market posted a steeper double-digit decline than anticipated in 1Q13. In an already soft market with budget pressures all around, demand is shifting to tablets. Windows 8 and touch-enabled device adoption remains slow.
The Japan market saw some economic improvement thanks to commercial replacement demand ahead of the scheduled end of support for Windows XP next year. Consumer shipments were "very weak," IDC says.
The Asia-Pacific market -- which excludes Japan -- saw a sharp decline in shipments, dropping a record 12.7 percent year over year. It's the first time the region has ever seen a double-digit drop. "Lukewarm reception" to Windows 8 continues. As expected, China is in the driver's seat for this market, and its foot is off the gas.
At the corporate level, Hewlett-Packard remains king -- despite a 23 percent drop in global shipments, year over year, across all regions. (Yes, that's how tough this business has become.)
Lenovo came in second place and "nearly closed the gap with HP" thanks to an impressive, aggressive strategy. It's the only company that grew shipments, posting double-digit growth numbers in the U.S. as the rest of the market moved in the opposite direction. Interestingly, Lenovo saw declines in the Asia-Pacific region.
Rounding out the Top 5 were Dell (down 10 percent worldwide and 14 percent in the U.S., an improvement), Acer (hurting from its bet on netbooks) and Asus ("substantial decline" in EMEA and Asia-Pacific).
And if you're wondering, yes, even Apple saw PC shipment declines "as its own PCs also face competition from iPads," IDC says.
And what about IDC's rival, Gartner? That market research firm also released its figures today, measuring an 11.2 percent decline quarter over quarter and quarterly shipments of 79.2 million units, a bit higher than IDC's numbers -- and therefore the lowest levels since the second quarter of 2009, per its estimates.
According to Gartner's 1Q13 figures, HP and Lenovo are "in a virtual tie" for first place in PC shipments worldwide; Dell filled out the Top 3.
In the U.S., it remains an HP-Dell-Apple world. Only Apple and Lenovo (No. 5 in the U.S.) were among those in the U.S. top five to see PC shipment growth during the quarter.
More key points of interest from the firm's report:
- The EMEA region saw the steepest decline worldwide: a 16 percent decline, to just 23.3 million units in 1Q13. Why? "Ongoing economic uncertainties" in Southern Europe, plus increasing mobile device adoption.
- The Asia-Pacific market wasn't much better: a 10.3 percent decline, to just 27.6 million units during the quarter. Why? You guessed it: "a fragile economic environment."
- Unlike the consumer PC market, the professional PC market has seen growth, driven by continuing PC refreshes. The professional market makes up about half of all shipments.
- HP "recorded its worst shipment decline since the acquisition of Compaq in 2003," under attack in both consumer and professional segments. Ouch.
- Despite Lenovo's extraordinary growth figures in the U.S., it was Lenovo's slowest growth worldwide since 1Q09.
- The economic recovery is having little impact on PC market conditions.
- U.S. PC shipments totaled 14.2 million units in 1Q13, a 9.6 percent decline from the same quarter a year ago.
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Never buy a Windows Surface Pro as Windows takes up 36% of your drive space!
The 128GB Microsoft Surface Pro will only offer 83GB of usable storage— the 64GB version will offer up just 23GB of space to the user. Talk about rediculas
It seems the Windows 8 install, built-in apps, and a recovery partition will consume 41GB of the total storage space, leaving just 23GB—that's 36 percent—of storage for the user. Perhaps it's time manufacturers started quoting available storage space in their ads, too?
Samsung Refuses To Launch Windows RT tablets in the US.
Samsung's line of Windows Ativ tablets was announced just this past fall, but it doesn't look like the company will be bringing the RT version to the US any time soon. Speaking to CNET, Samsung executive Mike Abary said that the Qualcomm-powered RT tablet will not be sold in the US, citing the high cost of educating the consumer on Windows RT and studies from retail partners that said demand for Windows RT tablets was not enough to warrant the heavy investment in consumer education.
When we did some tests and studies on how we could go to market with a Windows RT device, we determined there was a lot of heavy lifting we still needed to do to educate the customer on what Windows RT was," noted Abary. Consumer education is something that Microsoft has had to struggle with for both Windows 8 and Windows RT, and it looks like this is a direct consequence of that. He added that Samsung was also not willing to bring the Windows RT tablets to market with the compromises it would need to make to hit the lower price point expected from RT tablets. "We didn't necessarily attain the price point that we hoped to attain," Abary said.
Samsung isn't completely abandoning the US market with its Ativ products — it's been selling the Ativ Smart PC with Windows 8 at AT&T retail stores since November, and it just announced availability of the Ativ Odyssey smartphone for Verizon Wireless. But the Samsung's decision to not sell the Windows RT Ativ tablets in the US doesn't bode well for other manufacturers that may plan to launch their own tablets with the platform. Fortunately for Microsoft, Samsung hasn't completely ruled out the US market for Windows RT if it is able to address the issues of customer training and cost. But we aren't getting our hopes up to see one any time soon. "It's still a viable option for us in the future, but now might not be the right time," concluded Abary.
Is your credit card details being stolen at point-of-sale terminals when shopping at big companies?
Administration panel for Dexter, a malicious application that steals credit card data from point-of-sale systems. The malware was recently found on hundreds of computers around the world.
A researcher has uncovered new malware that steals payment card data from point-of-sale terminals used by stores, hotels, and other businesses.
Dexter, as the malware is called, has infected hundreds of point-of-sale computers at big-name retailers, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, according to a report issued by Aviv Raff, chief technology officer of Israel-based security firm Seculert. Businesses infected in the past three months are located in 40 different countries, with 30 percent of those compromised located in the US, 19 percent in the UK, and nine percent in Canada. Malware that infects point-of-sale terminals can be one of the most efficient ways to carry out payment card fraud because it targets machines with access to large amounts of the required data.
"Instead of going through the trouble of infecting tens of thousands of PCs or physically installing a skimmer, an attacker can achieve the same results by targeting just a few POS systems with specially crafted malware," Raff wrote. "Dexter is one example of such malware."
Dexter has infected systems running a variety of different versions of Windows, including XP, Home Server, Server 2003, and Windows 7. Once installed, Dexter uploads the contents of computer memory to a server located in the Republic of Seychelles. An online parsing tool then attempts to ferret out Track 1 and Track 2 card data processed by various POS applications. The data is then retrieved by the malware operators, presumably for the purpose of cloning payment cards. More on Dexter here.
It remains unclear how POS systems are infected by Dexter, which gets its name from a string of text found in one of its files. The large percentage of infected Windows servers suggests Web-based exploits and social engineering traps aren't likely vectors, since those types of machines typically aren't used to browse Web pages. Raff declined to identify the businesses infected by the malware.
Internet Explorer 6-10 vulnerability lets hackers track your mouse movements
A vulnerability found in Microsoft's Internet Explorer allows hackers to track the movements of your mouse cursor across the screen, which could in turn reveal data entered on virtual keyboards.
Virtual keyboards and keypads can be used to reduce the chance of a keylogger recording every keystroke and therefore being able to "read" your passwords. However Spider.io discovered that Internet Explorer versions 6 to 10 make it possible for your mouse cursor to be tracked anywhere on screen, even if the IE tab is minimised. You can see a video demonstration of the vulnerability embedded in this post, or you can try it yourself at this link (provided you are browsing with IE).
This particular vulnerability is of concern, because if you use Internet Explorer your mouse movements can be recorded even if you never install any software. A hacker simply needs to buy a display advertising placement on any webpage you visit. As long as the tab with the ad remains open, mouse movements can be tracked.
The analytics company disclosed the vulnerability to Microsoft back in October, but has now gone public. The Microsoft Security Research Centre recognises that there is a vulnerability but has said that there are no immediate plans to patch it. Spider.io says that a number of web analytics companies are already making use of this ability to track cursor movements.
Spider's Douglas de Jager explained to Wired.co.uk that they discovered the issue when looking into ways to measure the position of advertisements on a web page. There are two ways to measure the "viewability" of display advertisements online -- i.e. to check whether the ad slots are placed in a prominent place on the website. (This is because some disreputable publishers have been known to place MPUs and other ad placements outside of the frame of the website so that -- for example -- a video might be playing on repeat out of sight, meaning that the advertiser is paying for views of their video when web users aren't actually able to see them.)
One involves a geometric approach, which compares the position of the four corners of the ad relative to the host webpage and comparing the position of the four corners of the browser's viewpoint relative to the host webpage. A variant of this approach is comparing the ad with the screen edge rather than the host page. This geometric approach doesn't work so well when ads are embedded in "unfriendly" or cross-domain iframes. A second approach involves monitoring browser optimisations: by monitoring how a browser allocates resources to render an ad, you can determine what proportion of the ad is in view -- this is the approach that Spider.io uses.
The Internet Explorer issue arose in the geometric approach that the browser takes, which involves showing the position of the cursor relative to the advertisement and relative to the screen edge -- allowing web analytics companies and potentially hackers to ascertain the cursor position at any point.
In order to glean any meaningful information from this attack, any hacker would need to know what website or application the user was using and the layout of the site. The site would also need to use an onscreen keypad or keyboard to enter sensitive information -- something that ING Direct's online banking service uses.
Virtual keyboards and keypads can be used to reduce the chance of a keylogger recording every keystroke and therefore being able to "read" your passwords. However Spider.io discovered that Internet Explorer versions 6 to 10 make it possible for your mouse cursor to be tracked anywhere on screen, even if the IE tab is minimised. You can see a video demonstration of the vulnerability embedded in this post, or you can try it yourself at this link (provided you are browsing with IE).
This particular vulnerability is of concern, because if you use Internet Explorer your mouse movements can be recorded even if you never install any software. A hacker simply needs to buy a display advertising placement on any webpage you visit. As long as the tab with the ad remains open, mouse movements can be tracked.
The analytics company disclosed the vulnerability to Microsoft back in October, but has now gone public. The Microsoft Security Research Centre recognises that there is a vulnerability but has said that there are no immediate plans to patch it. Spider.io says that a number of web analytics companies are already making use of this ability to track cursor movements.
Spider's Douglas de Jager explained to Wired.co.uk that they discovered the issue when looking into ways to measure the position of advertisements on a web page. There are two ways to measure the "viewability" of display advertisements online -- i.e. to check whether the ad slots are placed in a prominent place on the website. (This is because some disreputable publishers have been known to place MPUs and other ad placements outside of the frame of the website so that -- for example -- a video might be playing on repeat out of sight, meaning that the advertiser is paying for views of their video when web users aren't actually able to see them.)
One involves a geometric approach, which compares the position of the four corners of the ad relative to the host webpage and comparing the position of the four corners of the browser's viewpoint relative to the host webpage. A variant of this approach is comparing the ad with the screen edge rather than the host page. This geometric approach doesn't work so well when ads are embedded in "unfriendly" or cross-domain iframes. A second approach involves monitoring browser optimisations: by monitoring how a browser allocates resources to render an ad, you can determine what proportion of the ad is in view -- this is the approach that Spider.io uses.
The Internet Explorer issue arose in the geometric approach that the browser takes, which involves showing the position of the cursor relative to the advertisement and relative to the screen edge -- allowing web analytics companies and potentially hackers to ascertain the cursor position at any point.
In order to glean any meaningful information from this attack, any hacker would need to know what website or application the user was using and the layout of the site. The site would also need to use an onscreen keypad or keyboard to enter sensitive information -- something that ING Direct's online banking service uses.
Windows RT Runs NO, yes NO Windows programs not even One. It's not Windows in anyway , shape or form.
Yes thats right. Microsoft is confusing the heck out of users so lets just say this once and for all. Windows RT is not and will never be Windows as you know it.
Lets list the facts:
Windows RT is a totally new platform.
Windows RT is not in anyway Windows.
Windows RT Cannot install or run even one Windows application.
Windows RT cannot run or install any Windows Phone Apps, No not even one.
So there you go. Don't think if you buy a Windows RT Tablet that you'll be able to install anything but whats in the Windows RT app store which frankly is next to nothing, You can't even install an existing Windows phone app. This is totally crazy and it is very misleading.
So lets say it again Windows RT is NOT Windows and should be called something completely different.
Remove the word Windows completely maybe just called it Microsoft RT.
Lets list the facts:
Windows RT is a totally new platform.
Windows RT is not in anyway Windows.
Windows RT Cannot install or run even one Windows application.
Windows RT cannot run or install any Windows Phone Apps, No not even one.
So there you go. Don't think if you buy a Windows RT Tablet that you'll be able to install anything but whats in the Windows RT app store which frankly is next to nothing, You can't even install an existing Windows phone app. This is totally crazy and it is very misleading.
So lets say it again Windows RT is NOT Windows and should be called something completely different.
Remove the word Windows completely maybe just called it Microsoft RT.
How To Kill Metro Apps In Windows 8
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When Windows 8 Consumers Preview was released, reaction was somewhat mixed from users and tech pundits alike. Much has been changed from past Windows versions and the software giant wants to merge both tablets and desktop UI into one single package. Since its a hybrid OS, desktop users doesn’t seem to look any happy. Along with revamped UI, unified desktop/tablet usage, and other enhancements, there are many features that have been either reworked, or removed for good. One of these features that is reworked, is application handling. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 handles running applications in a different way. As you know that Windows 8 is optimized for both PCs and tablets, and features metro style applications, which run in the Metro UI environment. The metro applications behave similar to that of Android/iOS apps (well, that’s the closest example i can think of). For instance, when you move to home screen (i.e. the Metro Start Screen) while using a metro app, the OS suspends the application to conserve CPU resources for other apps. Even though this reduces the load time of metro apps, suspended applications (apps running in the background) do consume memory resources, which can be serious problem if you don’t have enough memory at your disposal. In this post, we will show you a few ways to properly quit Metro apps.
There are 4 different ways to close/shutdown the Metro apps that Windows 8 provides you with. The first method involves the use of Switch List that contains all the running metro applications. Its fairly easy, to close an app from the Switch List, right click the app and select Close to shut down the app.
Next up, is using the task manager, you can easily quit the metro applications. It shows you all the currently running Metro apps in the Task Manager. Just Right click the running app and select End Task to close it.
The above mentioned methods let you close the Metro apps from outside the application interface. However, if you want to close the app without having to open Task Manager or access the Switch List, you can grab the App window from the top end and drag it all the way down to the bottom of the screen. This will immediately close the metro style application. You can also close any running metro style app using the Alt+F4 hotkey combination.
When Windows 8 Consumers Preview was released, reaction was somewhat mixed from users and tech pundits alike. Much has been changed from past Windows versions and the software giant wants to merge both tablets and desktop UI into one single package. Since its a hybrid OS, desktop users doesn’t seem to look any happy. Along with revamped UI, unified desktop/tablet usage, and other enhancements, there are many features that have been either reworked, or removed for good. One of these features that is reworked, is application handling. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 handles running applications in a different way. As you know that Windows 8 is optimized for both PCs and tablets, and features metro style applications, which run in the Metro UI environment. The metro applications behave similar to that of Android/iOS apps (well, that’s the closest example i can think of). For instance, when you move to home screen (i.e. the Metro Start Screen) while using a metro app, the OS suspends the application to conserve CPU resources for other apps. Even though this reduces the load time of metro apps, suspended applications (apps running in the background) do consume memory resources, which can be serious problem if you don’t have enough memory at your disposal. In this post, we will show you a few ways to properly quit Metro apps.
There are 4 different ways to close/shutdown the Metro apps that Windows 8 provides you with. The first method involves the use of Switch List that contains all the running metro applications. Its fairly easy, to close an app from the Switch List, right click the app and select Close to shut down the app.
Next up, is using the task manager, you can easily quit the metro applications. It shows you all the currently running Metro apps in the Task Manager. Just Right click the running app and select End Task to close it.
The above mentioned methods let you close the Metro apps from outside the application interface. However, if you want to close the app without having to open Task Manager or access the Switch List, you can grab the App window from the top end and drag it all the way down to the bottom of the screen. This will immediately close the metro style application. You can also close any running metro style app using the Alt+F4 hotkey combination.
Windows 8 Launch date confirmed
www.tech-sanity.com
Here we going some concrete dates at last.
Microsoft officials confirmed on September 17 that Windows 8 will launch in New York City on October 25.
Here's the "Save the Date" invitation:
Microsoft is still not sharing the specific venue, time or agenda for the launch. Microsoft officials did share that there will be a Manhattan holiday pop-up store opening this fall, but declined to say whether it would be open in time for the Windows 8 launch.
Microsoft is making Windows 8 -- and Surface RT, its first tablet running the Windows RT on ARM version of the product -- available commercially on October 26.
New York City has been Microsoft's chosen site for many of its recent Windows launches, including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Here we going some concrete dates at last.
Microsoft officials confirmed on September 17 that Windows 8 will launch in New York City on October 25.
Here's the "Save the Date" invitation:
Microsoft is still not sharing the specific venue, time or agenda for the launch. Microsoft officials did share that there will be a Manhattan holiday pop-up store opening this fall, but declined to say whether it would be open in time for the Windows 8 launch.
Microsoft is making Windows 8 -- and Surface RT, its first tablet running the Windows RT on ARM version of the product -- available commercially on October 26.
New York City has been Microsoft's chosen site for many of its recent Windows launches, including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Windows 8 tablet pricing $599 up!
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Windows 8 Tablet pricing is starting to dematerialise and it's looking bait bit steeper than Microsoft has lead us to believe.
First up: Asus has a trio of Windows 8 tablets on deck for the holidays, but the pricing is so high---$599 to $1,299 for a hybrid---that it's going to be nearly impossible to compete in the marketplace.
The challenges here are obvious despite Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's talk of a sweet spot.
In a nutshell:
• Asus isn't a business brand yet it is pricing its Windows tablet as if there were some enterprise secret sauce. Asus roadmap only highlighted upcoming products not the big sales pitch to differentiate these tablets.
• Also included in Asus' roadmap are details about 12 and 13-inch laptops. What's truly odd is that one laptop is $549 and the next-gen Transformer is $1,399. The Transformer Book is billed as "one device for two personalities between tablet and notebook."
• Consumers will balk at these tablet prices and a) either opt for a laptop or b) go with a cheaper tablet such as Apple's iPad or any variety of Android.
The roadmap here is preliminary in that Asus could change its pricing before the tablets launch along with Windows 8. But if the pricing sticks these tablets could have rough sledding ahead. Given the pricing fumbles of OEMs, it's no wonder that Microsoft has cooked up its Surface tablet. After all, Microsoft has the resources to lose money---just look at the billions lost in the search wars---in the name of market share.
Windows 8 Tablet pricing is starting to dematerialise and it's looking bait bit steeper than Microsoft has lead us to believe.
First up: Asus has a trio of Windows 8 tablets on deck for the holidays, but the pricing is so high---$599 to $1,299 for a hybrid---that it's going to be nearly impossible to compete in the marketplace.
The challenges here are obvious despite Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's talk of a sweet spot.
In a nutshell:
• Asus isn't a business brand yet it is pricing its Windows tablet as if there were some enterprise secret sauce. Asus roadmap only highlighted upcoming products not the big sales pitch to differentiate these tablets.
• Also included in Asus' roadmap are details about 12 and 13-inch laptops. What's truly odd is that one laptop is $549 and the next-gen Transformer is $1,399. The Transformer Book is billed as "one device for two personalities between tablet and notebook."
• Consumers will balk at these tablet prices and a) either opt for a laptop or b) go with a cheaper tablet such as Apple's iPad or any variety of Android.
The roadmap here is preliminary in that Asus could change its pricing before the tablets launch along with Windows 8. But if the pricing sticks these tablets could have rough sledding ahead. Given the pricing fumbles of OEMs, it's no wonder that Microsoft has cooked up its Surface tablet. After all, Microsoft has the resources to lose money---just look at the billions lost in the search wars---in the name of market share.
Microsoft Nitol botnet discovering PCs straight from the manufacterers.
www.tech-sanity.com
Microsoft helped disrupt more than 500 different strains of malware this week. in an attempt to deal to the Nitol botnet. Retailers in China selling computers with counterfeit versions of Windows loaded with malware where found and felt to. Microsoft discovered that 20 percent of the PCs its researchers purchased in China were infected with malware. Microsoft is calling on suppliers, resellers, distributors, and retailers to safeguard consumers from purchasing machines loaded with malware. "They need to adopt and practice stringent policies that ensure that the computers and software they purchase and resell come from trustworthy sources," says Microsoft's Richard Domingues Boscovich.
Microsoft has previously disrupted the Kelihos (around 100,000 machines) and Zeus botnets (around 13 million infections) by working closely with US officials. For this week's Nitol botnet disruption, a court granted Microsoft's request to takeover the 3322.org domain name, which hosted the Nitol botnet, through a DNS redirect — allowing the company to block Nitol and other malicious subdomains hosted at the site, including over 37 million malware connections. "Cybercriminals have made it clear that anyone with a computer could become an unwitting mule for malware," says Boscovich. "Today’s action is a step toward preventing that."
Microsoft helped disrupt more than 500 different strains of malware this week. in an attempt to deal to the Nitol botnet. Retailers in China selling computers with counterfeit versions of Windows loaded with malware where found and felt to. Microsoft discovered that 20 percent of the PCs its researchers purchased in China were infected with malware. Microsoft is calling on suppliers, resellers, distributors, and retailers to safeguard consumers from purchasing machines loaded with malware. "They need to adopt and practice stringent policies that ensure that the computers and software they purchase and resell come from trustworthy sources," says Microsoft's Richard Domingues Boscovich.
Microsoft has previously disrupted the Kelihos (around 100,000 machines) and Zeus botnets (around 13 million infections) by working closely with US officials. For this week's Nitol botnet disruption, a court granted Microsoft's request to takeover the 3322.org domain name, which hosted the Nitol botnet, through a DNS redirect — allowing the company to block Nitol and other malicious subdomains hosted at the site, including over 37 million malware connections. "Cybercriminals have made it clear that anyone with a computer could become an unwitting mule for malware," says Boscovich. "Today’s action is a step toward preventing that."
Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac Released
Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac has just been released today as an upgrade for current users, and available to the general public for purchase on Tuesday (9/4).
New and enhanced features of Parallels Desktop 8 make life even better for Mac lovers. Bringing together the newest versions of the world’s two most popular operating systems – OS X and Windows – opens up a world of opportunity by allowing users to choose how they want Mac and Windows to collaborate. Here is a quick breakdown of how Parallels Desktop 8 integrates the cutting edge features within Mountain Lion and Windows 8:
Toshiba Windows 8 Hybrid Laptop
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Toshiba might finally have something here. The Satellite U925t is its new 12.5-inch Windows 8 hybrid laptop/tablet, and it looks deceptively good.
The U925t has the same design as the weird but endearing U845W ultrabook, though it's not a super-wide 21:9 ratio. It's a standard 1366x768 resolution, which is disappointing with 1080p screens flying around on these Windows 8 machines, but decent enough.
To get the U925t from tablet to laptop mode, you slide the screen back, then up. The sliding mechanism can stop after an inch or so and be used as a camera—extraneous, but nice to have—and then extends all the way and is folded up into laptop mode. It's different than holding a traditional laptop, but after sitting with it for a few minutes, it's definitely usable. It's not going to topple over in your lap like you might fear.
The U925t has a Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, a 128GB SSD, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, HDMI out, and NFC on its front panel. It also has pretty much the same trackpad as the U845W, though it's a little smaller. That's a good thing! The U845W's trackpad was really good, and this one responds well too. The size is a concern, but you'll take usable over spacious every time. The keyboard too, which is a big concern on these sliding convertibles, is pretty good. Not amazing, and the All of that sounds like standard stuff compared to everything getting announced right now. And it is, mostly. But that's only because everything is so similar, and what sets anything apart right now is stuff like how responsive the auto-turning gyroscope is, and how good the build quality is. How much sense all the separate features make as a whole machine. The U925t just seems like it has its crap together. Nothing feels thrown-together. And in that, it's way ahead of a lot of the hybrids coming out for Windows 8.
Toshiba might finally have something here. The Satellite U925t is its new 12.5-inch Windows 8 hybrid laptop/tablet, and it looks deceptively good.
The U925t has the same design as the weird but endearing U845W ultrabook, though it's not a super-wide 21:9 ratio. It's a standard 1366x768 resolution, which is disappointing with 1080p screens flying around on these Windows 8 machines, but decent enough.
To get the U925t from tablet to laptop mode, you slide the screen back, then up. The sliding mechanism can stop after an inch or so and be used as a camera—extraneous, but nice to have—and then extends all the way and is folded up into laptop mode. It's different than holding a traditional laptop, but after sitting with it for a few minutes, it's definitely usable. It's not going to topple over in your lap like you might fear.
The U925t has a Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, a 128GB SSD, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, HDMI out, and NFC on its front panel. It also has pretty much the same trackpad as the U845W, though it's a little smaller. That's a good thing! The U845W's trackpad was really good, and this one responds well too. The size is a concern, but you'll take usable over spacious every time. The keyboard too, which is a big concern on these sliding convertibles, is pretty good. Not amazing, and the All of that sounds like standard stuff compared to everything getting announced right now. And it is, mostly. But that's only because everything is so similar, and what sets anything apart right now is stuff like how responsive the auto-turning gyroscope is, and how good the build quality is. How much sense all the separate features make as a whole machine. The U925t just seems like it has its crap together. Nothing feels thrown-together. And in that, it's way ahead of a lot of the hybrids coming out for Windows 8.
Samsung ATIV Tab 10.1-inch Windows 8 RT tablet
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Samsung's new ATIV Tab, a Windows RT-packing cousin of the Galaxy Note 10.1has been announced. The new 10.1-inch slate isn't quite as aggressive as its Android counterpart and centers on a 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 5MP rear camera paired with a 1.9MP front-facing cam, and ports for micro-HDMI as well as USB. Dimensionally, the tablet is as light and skinny as you'd hope: it weighs 20.1 ounces (570g) and measures a slim 8.9mm thick. The 32GB and 64GB storage options aren't shockers given the extra space Windows and the bundled copy of Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 will demand, but there's a treat for long-haul users in the battery -- it's been upgraded from the 7,000maH pack of the Note 10.1 to an ample 8,200mAh unit. Samsung hasn't handed out launch details, but it's safe to say that the ATIV Tab won't arrive any sooner than October 26th.
Samsung's new ATIV Tab, a Windows RT-packing cousin of the Galaxy Note 10.1has been announced. The new 10.1-inch slate isn't quite as aggressive as its Android counterpart and centers on a 1,366 x 768 display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 5MP rear camera paired with a 1.9MP front-facing cam, and ports for micro-HDMI as well as USB. Dimensionally, the tablet is as light and skinny as you'd hope: it weighs 20.1 ounces (570g) and measures a slim 8.9mm thick. The 32GB and 64GB storage options aren't shockers given the extra space Windows and the bundled copy of Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 will demand, but there's a treat for long-haul users in the battery -- it's been upgraded from the 7,000maH pack of the Note 10.1 to an ample 8,200mAh unit. Samsung hasn't handed out launch details, but it's safe to say that the ATIV Tab won't arrive any sooner than October 26th.
Gamers … Valve cranks up Linux gaming, and it's faster than Windows
www.tech-sanity.com
Valve's distaste for Windows 8 has led the company to take on an increasing interest in Linux, and the new Valve Linux blog shows that, with some work, the Source Engine actually runs faster on it than it does on Windows. The company used a testbed with an Intel i7 3930k, Nvidia GeForce GTX 680, and 32GB of RAM to pit Left 4 Dead 2 on Windows 7 against Ubuntu 12, and the results are rather interesting.
At first, Valve's Linux port of Left 4 Dead 2 ran at only 6 FPS on the i7 machine, but after tweaking the game to make effective use of the efficient characteristics of the Linux kernel and OpenGL, the Valve Linux team was able to eke out a much higher 315 FPS. Using the same machine running Windows 7 and Direct3D, the same game ran at 270.6 FPS, or roughly 14 percent slower.
After optimizing the Source Engine for the Linux platform, Valve wondered why OpenGL was outperforming Direct3D at a technical level. Their research found that, on the same hardware, there are "a few additional microseconds [of] overhead per batch in Direct3D which does not affect OpenGL," indicating that Direct3D may not be as efficient as Microsoft would like developers to believe. There are still challenges ahead for the Valve Linux team, however, as the state of Linux graphics card drivers is still a tumultuous affair. The team has yet to work with AMD and Nvidia, but collaboration with Intel's engineers took place just last month.
Valve's distaste for Windows 8 has led the company to take on an increasing interest in Linux, and the new Valve Linux blog shows that, with some work, the Source Engine actually runs faster on it than it does on Windows. The company used a testbed with an Intel i7 3930k, Nvidia GeForce GTX 680, and 32GB of RAM to pit Left 4 Dead 2 on Windows 7 against Ubuntu 12, and the results are rather interesting.
At first, Valve's Linux port of Left 4 Dead 2 ran at only 6 FPS on the i7 machine, but after tweaking the game to make effective use of the efficient characteristics of the Linux kernel and OpenGL, the Valve Linux team was able to eke out a much higher 315 FPS. Using the same machine running Windows 7 and Direct3D, the same game ran at 270.6 FPS, or roughly 14 percent slower.
After optimizing the Source Engine for the Linux platform, Valve wondered why OpenGL was outperforming Direct3D at a technical level. Their research found that, on the same hardware, there are "a few additional microseconds [of] overhead per batch in Direct3D which does not affect OpenGL," indicating that Direct3D may not be as efficient as Microsoft would like developers to believe. There are still challenges ahead for the Valve Linux team, however, as the state of Linux graphics card drivers is still a tumultuous affair. The team has yet to work with AMD and Nvidia, but collaboration with Intel's engineers took place just last month.
Microsoft completes Windows 8 development, announces RTM
www.tech-sanity.com
Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 development is now complete. The final Release to Manufacturing (RTM) code will now be delivered to the company's hardware partners within the next few days to ready PCs and tablets with the new operating system in time for general availability on October 26th. Microsoft's final milestone concludes almost two years of development for its new Metro inspired Windows 8 software and marks the beginning of the release phase.
The final build is 9200.16384.win8_rtm.120725-1247 and Microsoft says MSDN and TechNet customers will be able to download it from August 15th. Microsoft Software Assurance customers will get the RTM bits on August 16th, and Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers on September 1st. Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's head of Windows, says the company "will continue to monitor and act on your real world experiences with Windows 8," despite the RTM milestone.
The finalization of WIndows 8 also means that the Windows Store will go live on August 15th. Developers will be able to access the final tools and submission process for Metro style apps at the Windows Dev Center later this month. PCs and tablets, including Microsoft's own Surface, will ship with Windows 8 on October 26th.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 development is now complete. The final Release to Manufacturing (RTM) code will now be delivered to the company's hardware partners within the next few days to ready PCs and tablets with the new operating system in time for general availability on October 26th. Microsoft's final milestone concludes almost two years of development for its new Metro inspired Windows 8 software and marks the beginning of the release phase.
The final build is 9200.16384.win8_rtm.120725-1247 and Microsoft says MSDN and TechNet customers will be able to download it from August 15th. Microsoft Software Assurance customers will get the RTM bits on August 16th, and Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers on September 1st. Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's head of Windows, says the company "will continue to monitor and act on your real world experiences with Windows 8," despite the RTM milestone.
The finalization of WIndows 8 also means that the Windows Store will go live on August 15th. Developers will be able to access the final tools and submission process for Metro style apps at the Windows Dev Center later this month. PCs and tablets, including Microsoft's own Surface, will ship with Windows 8 on October 26th.
Microsoft Has Confirmed It's Surface Will Ship on October 26th, (Same As Windows 8)
www.tech-sanity.com
Microsoft has confirmed that the Surface is due to start shipping on October 26th, with Windows 8.
It has been revealed that a Microsoft filed with the US Security and Exchange quietly reveals that the tablet will start shipping to customers on October 26th.The same day as Windows 8 is set to land, as we reported earlier in July.
The filing reads:
"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012... At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices."
Since launch we've known that Intel-based Surface Pro will take longer to launch, so this October 26th launch date corresponds to the availability of the ARM-powered tablet.
There's still one big questions surrounding the Surface, though, and that's price. That really will be an announcement worth looking out for. [Win SuperSite]
Microsoft has confirmed that the Surface is due to start shipping on October 26th, with Windows 8.
It has been revealed that a Microsoft filed with the US Security and Exchange quietly reveals that the tablet will start shipping to customers on October 26th.The same day as Windows 8 is set to land, as we reported earlier in July.
The filing reads:
"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012... At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices."
Since launch we've known that Intel-based Surface Pro will take longer to launch, so this October 26th launch date corresponds to the availability of the ARM-powered tablet.
There's still one big questions surrounding the Surface, though, and that's price. That really will be an announcement worth looking out for. [Win SuperSite]
Good news Windows 8 Store Will Offer Free Seven Day Trials for Paid Apps.
www.tech-sanity.com
Now this has got to be good news for users. Microsoft has released the details on how they plan to run the apps released through the new App Store coming with Windows 8. We have known about the store for a long time, but this is the first time we've heard about the inner workings of the apps, like the cut Microsoft plans to take.
First and foremost, all paid apps will cost at least $1.49 as opposed to the $0.99 other platforms allow. And most importantly for consumers, Microsoft plans to implement a 7-day "try before you buy" setup with apps that will let you opt-out of the full purchase if you don't like it.
Microsoft seems to also want to provide app developers with an incentive to churn out apps for its platform. Although they are sticking with the same 30% royalty cut that Apple takes, Microsoft's new store will only take 20% once your app earns $25,000 in sales.
Now this has got to be good news for users. Microsoft has released the details on how they plan to run the apps released through the new App Store coming with Windows 8. We have known about the store for a long time, but this is the first time we've heard about the inner workings of the apps, like the cut Microsoft plans to take.
First and foremost, all paid apps will cost at least $1.49 as opposed to the $0.99 other platforms allow. And most importantly for consumers, Microsoft plans to implement a 7-day "try before you buy" setup with apps that will let you opt-out of the full purchase if you don't like it.
Microsoft seems to also want to provide app developers with an incentive to churn out apps for its platform. Although they are sticking with the same 30% royalty cut that Apple takes, Microsoft's new store will only take 20% once your app earns $25,000 in sales.
EC investigating Microsoft's lack of compliance with browser choice commitment
www.tech-sanity.com
The European Commission revealed today that it plans to open proceedings against Microsoft to investigate whether the software giant has failed to comply with a 2009 browser choice commitment. Browser makers have complained at the lack of Metro browser choice in the company's upcoming Windows 8 software. If Microsoft is found guilty of breaching its legally binding commitments, it may be fined up to 10 percent of its total annual turnover. Microsoft was forced to implement a browser ballot box in its Windows operating system to ensure users were presented with a choice of web browsers. The ruling followed the result of a European Union competition case that found Microsoft had abused its dominance in the market with Internet Explorer.
The Commission believes Microsoft may have failed to implement the browser choice screen correctly with Windows 7 Service Pack 1, released in February 2011. "We take compliance with our decisions very seriously," says Joaquín Almunia, a member of the European Commission. "I trusted the company's reports were accurate. But it seems that was not the case, so we have immediately taken action. If following our investigation, the infringement is confirmed, Microsoft should expect sanctions."
The European Commission revealed today that it plans to open proceedings against Microsoft to investigate whether the software giant has failed to comply with a 2009 browser choice commitment. Browser makers have complained at the lack of Metro browser choice in the company's upcoming Windows 8 software. If Microsoft is found guilty of breaching its legally binding commitments, it may be fined up to 10 percent of its total annual turnover. Microsoft was forced to implement a browser ballot box in its Windows operating system to ensure users were presented with a choice of web browsers. The ruling followed the result of a European Union competition case that found Microsoft had abused its dominance in the market with Internet Explorer.
The Commission believes Microsoft may have failed to implement the browser choice screen correctly with Windows 7 Service Pack 1, released in February 2011. "We take compliance with our decisions very seriously," says Joaquín Almunia, a member of the European Commission. "I trusted the company's reports were accurate. But it seems that was not the case, so we have immediately taken action. If following our investigation, the infringement is confirmed, Microsoft should expect sanctions."
Start8 from Stardock updated so you can bypass Metro screen
Stardock are known for there Windows tweaks and now their "Bringing back the Windows® “Start” menu" Start8 product which is free.
They just added some new features which include
- Automatically load your Windows desktop on login
(vs the start screen)
- Adds a start button back to your taskbar
- Adds control over the "Start" menu size on the Explorer desktop
- Adds option for the "WinKey" to show fullscreen "Metro" desktop - Adds Run... option via right-click menu
- Adds Shutdown... option via right-click menu
- Choose a custom Start button image
Security flaws signal early death of Windows Gadgets
www.tech-sanity.comMicrosoft is speeding up plans to kill off the Windows Gadget platform after receiving word that serious security vulnerabilities will be disclosed at the upcoming Black Hat security conference.According to a brief abstract from the Black Hat site, researchers Mickey Shkatov and Toby Kohlenberg plan to discuss weaknesses associated with Windows Sidebar and Gadgets and demonstrate
WIndows 8 Reports your I7 processor not compatible! Heres a work around
www.tech-sanity.com
So my Brother inlaws Acer Aspire Core i7 with 8gbs ram is reported as CPU not compatible with Windows 8 which is totally wrong and nuts.
I found this article/blog with details of why and what to try so I hope it helps some of you.
Error when installing Windows 8 Release Preview: “Your PC’s CPU isn’t compatible with Windows 8.”
Whenever I try to install Windows 8 Release Preview, I get the following error:
Your PC’s CPU isn’t compatible with Windows 8
Answer
Steven. S replied on June 1, 2012
Forum Moderator Community Star
To install Windows 8 Release Candidate on your PC, the processor (CPU) must support the following features: Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX, and SSE2. Most CPUs have support for these features, so if you receive this error, it is likely because the NX feature is not enabled on your system.
To resolve this error, follow manufacturer guidelines to enable NX (“No eXecute bit”), or the equivalent XD (“eXecute Disabled”), feature within the BIOS settings. This feature is typically found in the Advanced or Security tabs within the BIOS settings, and can be referred to by a variety of names, including but not limited to:
· No Execute Memory Protect
· Execute Disabled Memory Protection
· EDB (Execute Disabled Bit)
· EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection)
If the BIOS setting for the NX (XD, EDB, or EVP) support option is not available on your system, you may need to contact the manufacturer to update the BIOS. Note that some very old processors may not contain these features and will be incompatible with Windows 8 Release Candidate.
A whitepaper has been published with further details about the PAE/NX/SSE2 requirement for Windows 8, error cases and scenarios that customers encounter when machines fail to meet the requirement, and what to do to install Windows 8 on their PC’s. You can download the whitepaper athttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/hh975398.aspx.
If you are using a virtualization product to install a Windows 8 Release Candidate virtual machine (VM) and receive this error (or error 0xC0000260), you must enable PAE (or PAE/NX) in the virtualization product’s settings or configuration manager when setting up the Windows 8 virtual environment.
Note that if you tried to install Windows 8 on the VM hosted on a system running a previous version of Windows with NX disabled, you will need to enable NX on the system before PAE/NX can be enabled for the VM. Please follow the instructions described in the whitepaper under “How Do I know if My System Supports NX or SSE2?” and “If NX Is Supported on My System, How Do I Turn on NX?” to enable NX on the system.
*Updated 6/11/2012*
Answer
BillFill replied on June 2, 2012
Microsoft Forum Moderator Community Star
Thank you all for reporting issues with the upgrade detection logic and the precise statement of system requirements. There are three points to make and then a potential workaround.
First of all, our apologies to anyone inconvenienced by this issue, and thank you very much for trying out the Windows 8 Release Preview.
Second of all, there may be a bug here. We may contact a few of you if we need further information to track down the problem and make sure it is fixed before RTM completes.
Third, I want to describe what precisely has changed since the Windows 8 Consumer Preview (CP) and what has been done to date to make sure this works correctly. Some of this will not help people experiencing the problem (please see one and two above and then one again). It is important to note that the answer on this thread is correct in terms of the CPU requirements for Windows 8.
We did make changes in the upgrade detection logic since the CP. The changes revolve around the default installer and how it checks for precise CPU features before continuing. Windows 8 requires the NX capabilities of modern CPUs. This is done for security reasons to ensure that malware defense features work reliably. This is important as we want to ensure that people can feel safe using lots of different software including desktop apps and apps from the Windows Store. This means some very old CPUs will not work with Windows 8. In the CP we did not block the installer for the NX feature. Based on CP telemetry we felt adding the block to setup was warranted to respect people’s time. It is better to get it over with quickly, even if it is disappointing. We also used the telemetry to get some handle on how many CPUs would fail the NX requirement so we could be sure enforcing NX presence was responsible in the ecosystem. We learned that less than 1% of CPUs did not have NX capability available and configured correctly and out of those 0.1% did not have the NX capability at all. Based on this we feel that enforcing NX presence is a good thing to do since it results in better malware defenses. Thus we now enforce NX presence in the kernel boot sequence.
It is interesting to look at the case where NX is available but not configured correctly. It is possible on “most CPUs” in this state to override the BIOS setting in software. Because the “opposite of most CPUs” case means a code 5D bluescreen later on, it saves time to get it out up front and ask the user to fix the BIOS setting during setup. However, the “most CPUs” case does mean there is a potential workaround, which I’ll describe in a moment.
We didn’t make any change related to PAE detection, but it is good to note that PAE is a pre-requisite for NX on 32 bit processors due to how NX is implemented in memory manager page tables.
We did change SSE2 instruction set detection based on telemetry from the CP and Windows 7. SSE2 became standard on CPUs a long time ago, but Windows did not rely on those instructions. It turns out though, that an increasing number of 3 party applications and drivers have started using those instructions, and not checking for them before use. We get to see this in our telemetry, as application crashes and in- the- driver case bluescreens. Taking into account that the rate of these differences in 3 party programming is increasing -- and that SSE2 has been present on all CPUs since 2003 and most since 2001-- we decided to check for SSE2 in setup. The result for users at large is their PC is more reliable. We do not check for SSE2 in the kernel boot sequence,;however, if your CPU has NX it also almost certainly has SSE2.
Before I provide the potential workaround, if you can, please properly configure NX in your BIOS.
Here is the potential workaround: Download the ISO and burn it to a DVD or create a bootable USB flash drive. Boot from the media that you created. If your CPU does not support NX you will see a code 5D bluescreen before setup starts. This is rare, but if it happens we won’t be able to help you run Windows 8.
This workaround may succeed because Windows contains two installers: the end user installer (setup.exe at the root of the Windows DVD) and the commercial installer (setup.exe found in the \sources directory of the Windows DVD). The commercial installer runs when the PC is booted from DVD/USB media and does not perform the NX/SSE2 checks and attempts to enable NX/SSE2 on supported systems.
Thank you for reading all this way. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused to people who have encountered this problem.
Answer
Steven. S replied on June 1, 2012
Forum Moderator Community Star
To install Windows 8 Release Candidate on your PC, the processor (CPU) must support the following features: Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX, and SSE2. Most CPUs have support for these features, so if you receive this error, it is likely because the NX feature is not enabled on your system.
To resolve this error, follow manufacturer guidelines to enable NX (“No eXecute bit”), or the equivalent XD (“eXecute Disabled”), feature within the BIOS settings. This feature is typically found in the Advanced or Security tabs within the BIOS settings, and can be referred to by a variety of names, including but not limited to:
· No Execute Memory Protect
· Execute Disabled Memory Protection
· EDB (Execute Disabled Bit)
· EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection)
If the BIOS setting for the NX (XD, EDB, or EVP) support option is not available on your system, you may need to contact the manufacturer to update the BIOS. Note that some very old processors may not contain these features and will be incompatible with Windows 8 Release Candidate.
A whitepaper has been published with further details about the PAE/NX/SSE2 requirement for Windows 8, error cases and scenarios that customers encounter when machines fail to meet the requirement, and what to do to install Windows 8 on their PC’s. You can download the whitepaper at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/hh975398.aspx.
If you are using a virtualization product to install a Windows 8 Release Candidate virtual machine (VM) and receive this error (or error 0xC0000260), you must enable PAE (or PAE/NX) in the virtualization product’s settings or configuration manager when setting up the Windows 8 virtual environment.
Note that if you tried to install Windows 8 on the VM hosted on a system running a previous version of Windows with NX disabled, you will need to enable NX on the system before PAE/NX can be enabled for the VM. Please follow the instructions described in thewhitepaper under “How Do I know if My System Supports NX or SSE2?” and “If NX Is Supported on My System, How Do I Turn on NX?” to enable NX on the system.
*Updated 6/11/2012*
So my Brother inlaws Acer Aspire Core i7 with 8gbs ram is reported as CPU not compatible with Windows 8 which is totally wrong and nuts.
I found this article/blog with details of why and what to try so I hope it helps some of you.
Error when installing Windows 8 Release Preview: “Your PC’s CPU isn’t compatible with Windows 8.”
Whenever I try to install Windows 8 Release Preview, I get the following error:
Your PC’s CPU isn’t compatible with Windows 8
Answer
Steven. S replied on June 1, 2012
Forum Moderator Community Star
To install Windows 8 Release Candidate on your PC, the processor (CPU) must support the following features: Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX, and SSE2. Most CPUs have support for these features, so if you receive this error, it is likely because the NX feature is not enabled on your system.
To resolve this error, follow manufacturer guidelines to enable NX (“No eXecute bit”), or the equivalent XD (“eXecute Disabled”), feature within the BIOS settings. This feature is typically found in the Advanced or Security tabs within the BIOS settings, and can be referred to by a variety of names, including but not limited to:
· No Execute Memory Protect
· Execute Disabled Memory Protection
· EDB (Execute Disabled Bit)
· EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection)
If the BIOS setting for the NX (XD, EDB, or EVP) support option is not available on your system, you may need to contact the manufacturer to update the BIOS. Note that some very old processors may not contain these features and will be incompatible with Windows 8 Release Candidate.
A whitepaper has been published with further details about the PAE/NX/SSE2 requirement for Windows 8, error cases and scenarios that customers encounter when machines fail to meet the requirement, and what to do to install Windows 8 on their PC’s. You can download the whitepaper athttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/hh975398.aspx.
If you are using a virtualization product to install a Windows 8 Release Candidate virtual machine (VM) and receive this error (or error 0xC0000260), you must enable PAE (or PAE/NX) in the virtualization product’s settings or configuration manager when setting up the Windows 8 virtual environment.
Note that if you tried to install Windows 8 on the VM hosted on a system running a previous version of Windows with NX disabled, you will need to enable NX on the system before PAE/NX can be enabled for the VM. Please follow the instructions described in the whitepaper under “How Do I know if My System Supports NX or SSE2?” and “If NX Is Supported on My System, How Do I Turn on NX?” to enable NX on the system.
*Updated 6/11/2012*
Answer
BillFill replied on June 2, 2012
Microsoft Forum Moderator Community Star
Thank you all for reporting issues with the upgrade detection logic and the precise statement of system requirements. There are three points to make and then a potential workaround.
First of all, our apologies to anyone inconvenienced by this issue, and thank you very much for trying out the Windows 8 Release Preview.
Second of all, there may be a bug here. We may contact a few of you if we need further information to track down the problem and make sure it is fixed before RTM completes.
Third, I want to describe what precisely has changed since the Windows 8 Consumer Preview (CP) and what has been done to date to make sure this works correctly. Some of this will not help people experiencing the problem (please see one and two above and then one again). It is important to note that the answer on this thread is correct in terms of the CPU requirements for Windows 8.
We did make changes in the upgrade detection logic since the CP. The changes revolve around the default installer and how it checks for precise CPU features before continuing. Windows 8 requires the NX capabilities of modern CPUs. This is done for security reasons to ensure that malware defense features work reliably. This is important as we want to ensure that people can feel safe using lots of different software including desktop apps and apps from the Windows Store. This means some very old CPUs will not work with Windows 8. In the CP we did not block the installer for the NX feature. Based on CP telemetry we felt adding the block to setup was warranted to respect people’s time. It is better to get it over with quickly, even if it is disappointing. We also used the telemetry to get some handle on how many CPUs would fail the NX requirement so we could be sure enforcing NX presence was responsible in the ecosystem. We learned that less than 1% of CPUs did not have NX capability available and configured correctly and out of those 0.1% did not have the NX capability at all. Based on this we feel that enforcing NX presence is a good thing to do since it results in better malware defenses. Thus we now enforce NX presence in the kernel boot sequence.
It is interesting to look at the case where NX is available but not configured correctly. It is possible on “most CPUs” in this state to override the BIOS setting in software. Because the “opposite of most CPUs” case means a code 5D bluescreen later on, it saves time to get it out up front and ask the user to fix the BIOS setting during setup. However, the “most CPUs” case does mean there is a potential workaround, which I’ll describe in a moment.
We didn’t make any change related to PAE detection, but it is good to note that PAE is a pre-requisite for NX on 32 bit processors due to how NX is implemented in memory manager page tables.
We did change SSE2 instruction set detection based on telemetry from the CP and Windows 7. SSE2 became standard on CPUs a long time ago, but Windows did not rely on those instructions. It turns out though, that an increasing number of 3 party applications and drivers have started using those instructions, and not checking for them before use. We get to see this in our telemetry, as application crashes and in- the- driver case bluescreens. Taking into account that the rate of these differences in 3 party programming is increasing -- and that SSE2 has been present on all CPUs since 2003 and most since 2001-- we decided to check for SSE2 in setup. The result for users at large is their PC is more reliable. We do not check for SSE2 in the kernel boot sequence,;however, if your CPU has NX it also almost certainly has SSE2.
Before I provide the potential workaround, if you can, please properly configure NX in your BIOS.
Here is the potential workaround: Download the ISO and burn it to a DVD or create a bootable USB flash drive. Boot from the media that you created. If your CPU does not support NX you will see a code 5D bluescreen before setup starts. This is rare, but if it happens we won’t be able to help you run Windows 8.
This workaround may succeed because Windows contains two installers: the end user installer (setup.exe at the root of the Windows DVD) and the commercial installer (setup.exe found in the \sources directory of the Windows DVD). The commercial installer runs when the PC is booted from DVD/USB media and does not perform the NX/SSE2 checks and attempts to enable NX/SSE2 on supported systems.
Thank you for reading all this way. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused to people who have encountered this problem.
Answer
Steven. S replied on June 1, 2012
Forum Moderator Community Star
To install Windows 8 Release Candidate on your PC, the processor (CPU) must support the following features: Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX, and SSE2. Most CPUs have support for these features, so if you receive this error, it is likely because the NX feature is not enabled on your system.
To resolve this error, follow manufacturer guidelines to enable NX (“No eXecute bit”), or the equivalent XD (“eXecute Disabled”), feature within the BIOS settings. This feature is typically found in the Advanced or Security tabs within the BIOS settings, and can be referred to by a variety of names, including but not limited to:
· No Execute Memory Protect
· Execute Disabled Memory Protection
· EDB (Execute Disabled Bit)
· EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection)
If the BIOS setting for the NX (XD, EDB, or EVP) support option is not available on your system, you may need to contact the manufacturer to update the BIOS. Note that some very old processors may not contain these features and will be incompatible with Windows 8 Release Candidate.
A whitepaper has been published with further details about the PAE/NX/SSE2 requirement for Windows 8, error cases and scenarios that customers encounter when machines fail to meet the requirement, and what to do to install Windows 8 on their PC’s. You can download the whitepaper at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/hh975398.aspx.
If you are using a virtualization product to install a Windows 8 Release Candidate virtual machine (VM) and receive this error (or error 0xC0000260), you must enable PAE (or PAE/NX) in the virtualization product’s settings or configuration manager when setting up the Windows 8 virtual environment.
Note that if you tried to install Windows 8 on the VM hosted on a system running a previous version of Windows with NX disabled, you will need to enable NX on the system before PAE/NX can be enabled for the VM. Please follow the instructions described in thewhitepaper under “How Do I know if My System Supports NX or SSE2?” and “If NX Is Supported on My System, How Do I Turn on NX?” to enable NX on the system.
*Updated 6/11/2012*
Full detailed Installation guides for Windows 8 Consumer Preview
www.tech-sanity.com
Reproduced Care Of The Verge a very full explanation of all the methods of Windows 8 Installations.
Had enough of our Windows 8 Consumer Preview coverage, and want to boldly install the downloadable public beta for yourself? Believe it or not, it's a pretty easy thing to do. You don't need to look up an arcane command to access your BIOS, you don't need to partition a drive, and you don't need a blank DVD, a second PC or even a USB thumbdrive... unless that's how you roll. With just an internet connection, you can perform the entire operation on any existing Windows 7 machine without any outside help, just so long as it fulfills the minimum requirements.
Here's how:
SETUP TOOL
We've installed the new Windows 8 Consumer Preview on just about every type of machine and in every possible combination, and we agree with Microsoft that the best way to go about getting the beta onto your computer is to use the setup tool. The tool will hold your hand while it downloads the necessary files, checks the integrity of those files, and formats your install media. Here's some step-by-step instructions (with pictures):
1. Go to Microsoft's site and click "Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview." A small EXE file will be saved to your downloads folder.
2. Open the downloaded file, and the setup tool will begin.
3. The tool will start by checking to see that software on your computer is compatible with the Consumer Preview. It will take a few minutes for the check to complete.
4. Once it's completed, the tool will tell you if it expects any software issues. If you're installing on a new partition, it won't matter if there are any incompatibilities, so long as you meet the minimum hardware requirements, but if you're going to do an in-place upgrade, you might want to take note. Click next.
5. The tool will say that it's ready to download Windows, and it will grab a product key. Be sure to write it down somewhere just in case you need it later. Click next.
6. The Consumer Preview will now be downloaded to your computer. On our speedy office connection, the download took us less than ten minutes to complete. You can also click the pause bottom in the bottom right corner if you want to take a break from downloading.
7. You're just about ready to install. Before we continue, it's time to make a difficult decision. Skip down to "Upgrade, replace, or dual boot?" below.
ISO
If you're more comfortable with disk images than a dedicated install tool, Microsoft's got you covered there, too: you'll find 32-bit and 64-bit ISOs in five different languages right here, though you'll need to set aside roughly 3.3GB (for 64-bit) or 2.5GB (for 32-bit) for the ISO file before you burn it to a DVD or USB thumbdrive.
1. Download your ISO of choice from this link.
2. Find a 4GB (or greater) USB thumbdrive, or a DVD burner and blank DVD disc.
3. Burn — don't copy — the ISO to your media of choice. Go to step 4 for USB, or skip to step 5 for the optical drive.
4. For USB, since you won't have Microsoft's handy setup tool, you'll need an app that can create bootable thumbdrives. Microsoft's got a tool that should do the trick for you, and you can download it right here.
5. For DVD, if you're running Windows 7, it's as easy as using the built-in Disk Image Burner. Just right-click on the ISO and select "Burn disc image." Third-party ISO burning software should also do the trick.
6. Pull your freshly burned media out of your machine, and pop it back in.
UPGRADE, REPLACE, OR DUAL-BOOT?
Once you run the installer, you've got an important decision to make. Will you format your drive, dual-boot from a new partition, or install Windows 8 as an upgrade over the existing OS? As long as you're not risking your daily driver, the last choice is actually pretty painless, and is by far the easiest way to get Windows 8 up and running.
Upgrade
If you're using the Setup Tool, simply choose Install Now and follow the prompts. If you're installing from ISO, just run the setup.exe file on the disk you burned from within your existing Windows OS. Choose to keep "Windows settings, personal files, and apps" when prompted if you want to retain most of your Windows 7 settings.
After a whole host of reboots and a few simple pages of setting sliders that let you determine just how much control you want to let Microsoft have over your privacy and Windows experience, you'll be booted into an operating system that (underneath the funky new Metro UI) looks much like the one you left behind. You're done!
You'll have a fairly hefty Windows.old directory taking up gigabytes of storage in your system (you can remove it from the Disk Cleanup utility) but don't be fooled: you won't be able to downgrade back to your previous OS without a full reinstall.
WINDOWS 8 CONSUMER PREVIEW INSTALL GUIDE: FROM ISO TO IN-PLACE UPGRADE (SCREENSHOTS)
Next
Partition
Here's where things get tricky, but also quite useful: if you partition your drive, you can have both Windows 7 and Windows 8 installed on the same disk, and pick which one you want to use every time you boot up the system. Of course, you'll want to be careful not to erase existing partitions.
From the Setup Tool:
1. Select "Install on another partition," and click next.
2. Now you'll need to chose if you want to install using a 3GB or greater USB flash drive or a DVD. We're going to use a flash drive, so select that option, plug in your drive, and click next.
3. Now you'll get to choose which flash drive you want to use. Make sure you've backed up anything on your flash drive that you need (everything will be deleted during the installation process), select which one you'd like to use, click next, and confirm that you want to continue by clicking "yes".
4. The setup tool will now format your USB flash drive. It'll take a few minutes to complete, and once it's done, click "finish," and the setup will close.
5. Now we need to make a new partition on your computer's hard drive to install Windows 8 to. Press the Start button and search for "partition." Click the "Create and format hard disk partitions" option, and Windows' built-in disk management tool will open.
6. This interface will show you all available drives and partitions on your computer. Usually you want to make a partition from your C drive if you're on a laptop and only have one drive. Right click the C drive and click "shrink volume."
7. It will take a minute to scan your drive, and then you'll be able to choose how much you want to shink the partition. However much space you shrink is how much we're going to be using for Windows 8, so we'd recommend quite a bit, but particularly if you want to store any files on your Windows 8 partition. The size is read out in MB, so if you want to make a 150GB partition, enter 150000 in the box. Once you've done that, click shrink.
8. Once that's finished, you'll see that your C drive is now smaller in size, and that you now have "unallocated" space on your drive. Right click the unallocated part, and click "new simple volume."
9. A new setup tool will open to help you format the new partition. Click next, and then choose how large you want the partition to be (typically you'd leave this at default, the entire size of the unallocated space), and then click next.
10. Now you'll assign a drive letter (again, you'd usually leave this unchanged), and then click next. At the next screen are some formatting options. The only thing you want to change here — unless you know what you're doing — is the volume label. Rename it something that you'll recognize, like "win8." Once you do that, click next.
11. The formatting wizard will ask you to confirm your changes, and then you'll see that you now have two large formatted partitions on your drive. Now that we're finished partitioning the drive, we're ready to install Windows 8.
12. Shut down your computer, turn it back on, and see what key it tells you to press to enter the BIOS or choose startup options. On our HP it told us to press the escape key, which we did, and then we selected "boot device options." From there we chose to boot from our USB flash drive. It's different on every PC, but the options should be similarly named.
13. The Windows 8 setup will load (it takes just a minute) and ask you to select your language, time, and keyboard language options. Click next.
14. Click "Install Now."
15. Remember that product key you wrote down earlier? Grab that scrap of paper and punch in the numbers and letters. Then click next.
16. Now you'll be asked to accept the license terms. Do so, and click next.
17. The setup will now ask you what kind of installation we want. We're going to install Windows 8 on a new partition, so click "Custom."
18. You'll be asked where you'd like to install Windows. You want to find the partition that we made earlier and select it. Click next.
19. Finally, Windows 8 will start installing on your computer. The system will restart several times during this process — you'll notice when it does that a new boot screen shows up that lets you choose between your Windows 7 and Windows 8 partitions. Don't click anything for now — just let the installation run its course. Once we've got the OS set up, you'll be presented with this option every time you restart your computer: stable and boring Windows 7 or cutting-edge Windows 8 beta?
20. You'll know you're finished when your computer waits at a screen called "Personalize." It'll ask you to choose your background color and give your PC a name. From here it's all smooth sailing — you'll connect to a wireless network, change some sharing, customization, and update settings, and you'll sign in with a Microsoft account (the new name for Windows Live accounts). Eventually you'll see the new Metro start screen, and you're ready to start enjoying the Consumer Preview.
Next
From the ISO:
1. Since you've already got a ready-made install disc, all you need to do is partition the drive, so follow steps 5-20 above with one minor deviation:
2. When you get to the CD-key prompt in step 15, simply use this pre-approved Microsoft one: NF32V-Q9P3W-7DR7Y-JGWRW-JFCK8
3. Enjoy a first-hand look at Windows 8!
Reproduced Care Of The Verge a very full explanation of all the methods of Windows 8 Installations.
Had enough of our Windows 8 Consumer Preview coverage, and want to boldly install the downloadable public beta for yourself? Believe it or not, it's a pretty easy thing to do. You don't need to look up an arcane command to access your BIOS, you don't need to partition a drive, and you don't need a blank DVD, a second PC or even a USB thumbdrive... unless that's how you roll. With just an internet connection, you can perform the entire operation on any existing Windows 7 machine without any outside help, just so long as it fulfills the minimum requirements.
Here's how:
SETUP TOOL
We've installed the new Windows 8 Consumer Preview on just about every type of machine and in every possible combination, and we agree with Microsoft that the best way to go about getting the beta onto your computer is to use the setup tool. The tool will hold your hand while it downloads the necessary files, checks the integrity of those files, and formats your install media. Here's some step-by-step instructions (with pictures):
1. Go to Microsoft's site and click "Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview." A small EXE file will be saved to your downloads folder.
2. Open the downloaded file, and the setup tool will begin.
3. The tool will start by checking to see that software on your computer is compatible with the Consumer Preview. It will take a few minutes for the check to complete.
4. Once it's completed, the tool will tell you if it expects any software issues. If you're installing on a new partition, it won't matter if there are any incompatibilities, so long as you meet the minimum hardware requirements, but if you're going to do an in-place upgrade, you might want to take note. Click next.
5. The tool will say that it's ready to download Windows, and it will grab a product key. Be sure to write it down somewhere just in case you need it later. Click next.
6. The Consumer Preview will now be downloaded to your computer. On our speedy office connection, the download took us less than ten minutes to complete. You can also click the pause bottom in the bottom right corner if you want to take a break from downloading.
7. You're just about ready to install. Before we continue, it's time to make a difficult decision. Skip down to "Upgrade, replace, or dual boot?" below.
ISO
If you're more comfortable with disk images than a dedicated install tool, Microsoft's got you covered there, too: you'll find 32-bit and 64-bit ISOs in five different languages right here, though you'll need to set aside roughly 3.3GB (for 64-bit) or 2.5GB (for 32-bit) for the ISO file before you burn it to a DVD or USB thumbdrive.
1. Download your ISO of choice from this link.
2. Find a 4GB (or greater) USB thumbdrive, or a DVD burner and blank DVD disc.
3. Burn — don't copy — the ISO to your media of choice. Go to step 4 for USB, or skip to step 5 for the optical drive.
4. For USB, since you won't have Microsoft's handy setup tool, you'll need an app that can create bootable thumbdrives. Microsoft's got a tool that should do the trick for you, and you can download it right here.
5. For DVD, if you're running Windows 7, it's as easy as using the built-in Disk Image Burner. Just right-click on the ISO and select "Burn disc image." Third-party ISO burning software should also do the trick.
6. Pull your freshly burned media out of your machine, and pop it back in.
UPGRADE, REPLACE, OR DUAL-BOOT?
Once you run the installer, you've got an important decision to make. Will you format your drive, dual-boot from a new partition, or install Windows 8 as an upgrade over the existing OS? As long as you're not risking your daily driver, the last choice is actually pretty painless, and is by far the easiest way to get Windows 8 up and running.
Upgrade
If you're using the Setup Tool, simply choose Install Now and follow the prompts. If you're installing from ISO, just run the setup.exe file on the disk you burned from within your existing Windows OS. Choose to keep "Windows settings, personal files, and apps" when prompted if you want to retain most of your Windows 7 settings.
After a whole host of reboots and a few simple pages of setting sliders that let you determine just how much control you want to let Microsoft have over your privacy and Windows experience, you'll be booted into an operating system that (underneath the funky new Metro UI) looks much like the one you left behind. You're done!
You'll have a fairly hefty Windows.old directory taking up gigabytes of storage in your system (you can remove it from the Disk Cleanup utility) but don't be fooled: you won't be able to downgrade back to your previous OS without a full reinstall.
WINDOWS 8 CONSUMER PREVIEW INSTALL GUIDE: FROM ISO TO IN-PLACE UPGRADE (SCREENSHOTS)
Next
Partition
Here's where things get tricky, but also quite useful: if you partition your drive, you can have both Windows 7 and Windows 8 installed on the same disk, and pick which one you want to use every time you boot up the system. Of course, you'll want to be careful not to erase existing partitions.
From the Setup Tool:
1. Select "Install on another partition," and click next.
2. Now you'll need to chose if you want to install using a 3GB or greater USB flash drive or a DVD. We're going to use a flash drive, so select that option, plug in your drive, and click next.
3. Now you'll get to choose which flash drive you want to use. Make sure you've backed up anything on your flash drive that you need (everything will be deleted during the installation process), select which one you'd like to use, click next, and confirm that you want to continue by clicking "yes".
4. The setup tool will now format your USB flash drive. It'll take a few minutes to complete, and once it's done, click "finish," and the setup will close.
5. Now we need to make a new partition on your computer's hard drive to install Windows 8 to. Press the Start button and search for "partition." Click the "Create and format hard disk partitions" option, and Windows' built-in disk management tool will open.
6. This interface will show you all available drives and partitions on your computer. Usually you want to make a partition from your C drive if you're on a laptop and only have one drive. Right click the C drive and click "shrink volume."
7. It will take a minute to scan your drive, and then you'll be able to choose how much you want to shink the partition. However much space you shrink is how much we're going to be using for Windows 8, so we'd recommend quite a bit, but particularly if you want to store any files on your Windows 8 partition. The size is read out in MB, so if you want to make a 150GB partition, enter 150000 in the box. Once you've done that, click shrink.
8. Once that's finished, you'll see that your C drive is now smaller in size, and that you now have "unallocated" space on your drive. Right click the unallocated part, and click "new simple volume."
9. A new setup tool will open to help you format the new partition. Click next, and then choose how large you want the partition to be (typically you'd leave this at default, the entire size of the unallocated space), and then click next.
10. Now you'll assign a drive letter (again, you'd usually leave this unchanged), and then click next. At the next screen are some formatting options. The only thing you want to change here — unless you know what you're doing — is the volume label. Rename it something that you'll recognize, like "win8." Once you do that, click next.
11. The formatting wizard will ask you to confirm your changes, and then you'll see that you now have two large formatted partitions on your drive. Now that we're finished partitioning the drive, we're ready to install Windows 8.
12. Shut down your computer, turn it back on, and see what key it tells you to press to enter the BIOS or choose startup options. On our HP it told us to press the escape key, which we did, and then we selected "boot device options." From there we chose to boot from our USB flash drive. It's different on every PC, but the options should be similarly named.
13. The Windows 8 setup will load (it takes just a minute) and ask you to select your language, time, and keyboard language options. Click next.
14. Click "Install Now."
15. Remember that product key you wrote down earlier? Grab that scrap of paper and punch in the numbers and letters. Then click next.
16. Now you'll be asked to accept the license terms. Do so, and click next.
17. The setup will now ask you what kind of installation we want. We're going to install Windows 8 on a new partition, so click "Custom."
18. You'll be asked where you'd like to install Windows. You want to find the partition that we made earlier and select it. Click next.
19. Finally, Windows 8 will start installing on your computer. The system will restart several times during this process — you'll notice when it does that a new boot screen shows up that lets you choose between your Windows 7 and Windows 8 partitions. Don't click anything for now — just let the installation run its course. Once we've got the OS set up, you'll be presented with this option every time you restart your computer: stable and boring Windows 7 or cutting-edge Windows 8 beta?
20. You'll know you're finished when your computer waits at a screen called "Personalize." It'll ask you to choose your background color and give your PC a name. From here it's all smooth sailing — you'll connect to a wireless network, change some sharing, customization, and update settings, and you'll sign in with a Microsoft account (the new name for Windows Live accounts). Eventually you'll see the new Metro start screen, and you're ready to start enjoying the Consumer Preview.
Next
From the ISO:
1. Since you've already got a ready-made install disc, all you need to do is partition the drive, so follow steps 5-20 above with one minor deviation:
2. When you get to the CD-key prompt in step 15, simply use this pre-approved Microsoft one: NF32V-Q9P3W-7DR7Y-JGWRW-JFCK8
3. Enjoy a first-hand look at Windows 8!
Microsoft Announces New 'Surface' Tablet, New Hardware and Software Based on Windows 8
www.tech-sanity.com
The Microsoft Surface is a 10.6" tablet powered by Windows 8, coming in two distinct versions -- both equipped with touch screens. One will be powered by an ARM processor and will be more like a traditional tablet running Windows RT. The other will be powered by Intel's 22nm Ivy Bridge chips running the desktop version of Windows 8.
The Windows RT version is just 9.3mm thin, weighs 1.5lbs, includes a built-in kickstand and is the first PC with a vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium case, according to Microsoft. It will ship in 32GB or 64GB versions.
Microsoft's Intel-based Surface tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, with a thickness of 13.5mm, a weight of 1.9lb, and USB 3.0 support. This particular version will also include magnesium casing and a built-in kickstand, but will ship with either 64GB or 128GB storage. The Intel version will include additional digital ink support through a pen that magnetizes to the body of the tablet.In addition to the tablet itself, Microsoft will sell two Smart Cover-like devices that attach magnetically to the Surface. Unlike Apple's add-on, which serves only as screen protection and as a stand, Microsoft's Touch Cover and Type Cover turn into a full-sized keyboard complete with a built-in trackpad. Microsoft says using the Touch Cover is "twice as efficient as typing on glass", a clear shot at the iPad's on-screen keyboard.
Microsoft did not share any information on pricing or availability, saying both the ARM and Intel editions would be price competitive with like products.
The Microsoft Surface is a 10.6" tablet powered by Windows 8, coming in two distinct versions -- both equipped with touch screens. One will be powered by an ARM processor and will be more like a traditional tablet running Windows RT. The other will be powered by Intel's 22nm Ivy Bridge chips running the desktop version of Windows 8.
The Windows RT version is just 9.3mm thin, weighs 1.5lbs, includes a built-in kickstand and is the first PC with a vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium case, according to Microsoft. It will ship in 32GB or 64GB versions.
Microsoft's Intel-based Surface tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, with a thickness of 13.5mm, a weight of 1.9lb, and USB 3.0 support. This particular version will also include magnesium casing and a built-in kickstand, but will ship with either 64GB or 128GB storage. The Intel version will include additional digital ink support through a pen that magnetizes to the body of the tablet.In addition to the tablet itself, Microsoft will sell two Smart Cover-like devices that attach magnetically to the Surface. Unlike Apple's add-on, which serves only as screen protection and as a stand, Microsoft's Touch Cover and Type Cover turn into a full-sized keyboard complete with a built-in trackpad. Microsoft says using the Touch Cover is "twice as efficient as typing on glass", a clear shot at the iPad's on-screen keyboard.
Microsoft did not share any information on pricing or availability, saying both the ARM and Intel editions would be price competitive with like products.
Windows 8 Release Preview
www.tech-sanity.com
This is a large Multipage, in-depth article
Windows 8 Release Preview has been released to the public and it's actually starting to look a lot better all round.
I've had the Developer Preview installed since it was first released last September and was not that excited at all. The Consumer Preview was an improvement but again can't say I was really feeling the love at all. Now we have the new Windows 8 Release in our hot little hands I have to say it's finally getting it's act together. Things are generally more refined and the whole thing is feeling really fast. I'm definitely impressed with the overall speed of the system.
This release fills in many of the missing pieces and offers a much more nuanced picture of what the final release will look like.
A lot of people consider the Metro-izing of Windows is a strategic blunder, a franchise killer that deserves a place alongside epic failures like New Coke and Star Wars: Episode 1. But if you’ve managed to retain an open mind about Windows 8, the Release Preview goes a long way toward making sense of Windows 8’s controversial design decisions.
If Windows 8 were being developed like its predecessors, the pace of change would be decelerating rapidly at this point, and reviewers would be focusing on the minutiae of system-level tasks. Instead, Microsoft has quickened the development tempo dramatically. To understand why, you have to look at what makes Windows 8 so fundamentally different from its predecessors.
The built-in apps in the Windows 8 Release Preview are way better than those previously released. They actually work !
Here’s a quick summary but it's worth reading the rest of this large article.
• The basic Windows 8 interface is essentially unchanged from what we’ve already seen in the Consumer Preview. It’s more polished and subtly refined, with a number of usability tweaks that have already been documented on the Building Windows 8 blog. Anyone who was expecting Microsoft to bring back the Start button will be disappointed.
• The Windows Store won’t open for business until the Release Preview bits are publicly available, so I wasn’t able to install or use any third-party Metro style apps in my early testing. During the demo, however, I did see a selection of new Metro style apps that included two slick Twitter clients, a much-improved Amazon Kindle Reader, and a smart-looking Wikipedia app. I also saw numerous examples of apps that use the built-in contracts that are part of the Metro development framework—enabling apps to share data without any custom code.
• Microsoft’s new apps make extensive use of Metro features, including live tiles and snapped views, and many individual items can be pinned to the desktop. That makes the Metro style desktop in the Release Preview much less of a collection of brightly colored tiles and more of a continually updated dashboard. That trend is likely to continue with third-party apps.
• The Metro style digital media apps—Music, Photos, and Video—are significantly improved from the versions in the Consumer Preview. Windows Media Center has officially been yanked from this release.though we have found it is able to be enabled. See the next page.
• The single biggest surprise in the Release Preview is that the Metro style version of Internet Explorer will include support for Microsoft-approved sites that use Adobe Flash. The Flash Player isn’t installed as a plugin but is instead a fully integrated part of the browser, managed and updated by Microsoft.
Windows Media Center is not preinstalled in Windows 8 Release Preview. If you want to use Windows Media Center, you need to add it by following these steps:
1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, and then click Search.)
2. Enter add features in the search box, and then tap or click Add features to Windows 8.
3. Tap or click I already have a product key.
4. Enter this product key: MBFBV-W3DP2-2MVKN-PJCQD-KKTF7 and then click Next.
5. Select the checkbox to accept the license terms and then click Add features.
Your PC will restart and Windows Media Center will now be on your PC and the tile will be pinned to the Start screen.
Most of what’s new in the traditional operating system part of Windows 8 is simply polish and refinement of what we’ve seen already. The Consumer Preview was already impressively fast to start, shut down, and switch between apps. This release feels even zippier, although I can’t confirm that with a formal benchmark.
You’ll find more color choices in the colors for the Start screen, along with some new default images for the lock screen.
A few usability tweaks to the way hot corners work should deal with grumbling about how those new navigation features work. The Windows 8 design team has added Labels to thumbnails in the Windows key+tab app switcher (as shown here). The Start screen thumbnail in the lower left corner is smaller than in the Consumer Preview, making it less likely that you’ll confuse it with a clickable icon.
The behavior of the corners on the right side of the display has changed subtly so that revealing the Charms menu feels less like a task where you have to unlock an achievement. And there are some very big changes to the way multi-monitor setups work, including the ability to view and snap Metro style apps on either screen. (I didn’t have a mini-HDMI adapter so couldn’t test this capability on my review PC.)
I was literally delighted by how well one Windows 8 feature worked. I’ve been using the Consumer Preview full time since February, linked to my Microsoft (nee Windows Live) account. As soon as I signed in to the new device with that username and password, all of my settings, including web favorites, background images, and saved passwords were immediately available.
My SkyDrive files—documents and photos—were available from the Metro style SkyDrive app immediately, although I had to install the desktop SkyDrive app to sync those files with the local hard disk. Installing that app unlocked a very useful new feature that allowed me to fetch photos directly from another synced device.
The Windows desktop showed no major differences. In the interest of eking out a few minutes of additional battery life, especially on underpowered GPUs, Microsoft has removed the glass effects from Aero. Transparency options are still there, but the Vista-style reflections on buttons and other controls are gone. It’s the sort of change you’re unlikely to notice unless you’re looking for it.
Other tiny changes are noticeable if you dig very deep. In the Consumer Preview, for example, every Windows Explorer folder included two tiny buttons in the lower right corner to switch between Details and Large Icons view. Those buttons are gone. (Update: Nope, they’re not gone. My account settings, which were synced to the review unit, had the Windows Explorer status bar hidden. When I changed that setting back to show the status bar, the two small icons reappeared.) Similarly, the button in the lower right corner of the Start screen that allows you to zoom out has changed from a magnifying glass icon to a simple minus sign.
Internet Explorer 10 maintains its dual personality. Several web sites that had given me compatibility fits in the Consumer Preview displayed properly using the updated IE code in the Release preview.
The most intriguing new feature in IE10 is support for some Flash-enabled sites in the Metro style Internet Explorer 10. As Adobe’s Flash Player diagnostic page confirms, this version of IE10 includes the most recent version of Flash Player 11.3 and correctly reports its windows version.
That doesn’t mean you can go to any Flash-powered site and expect it to work. Microsoft is carefully curating the whitelist of apps that can use Flash Player in the Metro style browser and applying it via its own compatibility settings. The most obvious addition is YouTube, which failed on the Consumer Preview but plays properly here. Right-clicking a video clip confirms that it’s using the new Flash Player code.
In this release of IE10, the Do Not Track capability is enabled by default. It’s unclear whether websites will voluntarily agree to stop tracking, however.
The Samsung Series 9 notebook on which I tested this release doesn’t have a touch screen. It does, however, incorporate a new trackpad design. In combination with some admittedly early (and buggy) drivers, the new hardware design recognizes the swipe gestures that work on a touchscreen—swipe in from the right to expose the Charms menu, swipe from the left to switch between running apps, use multi-touch gestures to scroll up down, and side to side. The new gestures can’t be retrofitted to existing trackpads, unfortunately, because those existing devices don’t have subtle enough edge detection.
But the real star of this release, as I mentioned up front, is the greatly improved selection of Metro style apps that are bundled with the Release Preview.
In the Developer Preview released last fall, the only Metro style apps were crude prototypes built by summer interns. With the Consumer Preview, Microsoft tossed those apps and included a new collection of more robust “app previews.”
In this release, the bundled apps are still called previews, but the difference in quality is striking. I’ve focused extensively on the new apps in the companion screenshot gallery for this post. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect.
Communications
The Mail, Calendar, Messaging, and People apps in the Consumer Preview were frankly underwhelming. So it’s remarkable to see how much progress they’ve made in the Release Preview, only 90 days later.
All four apps are tied tightly together. You can connect Hotmail, Google, and Exchange accounts, and their contents appear in separate modules (you can selectively exclude items—if you want your Gmail messages to appear in the Mail app but don’t want Google contacts in the People app, that’s your choice).
In addition, you can connect Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other services. When you do, those contacts appear in the People app, which functions as a global address book for Mail and Messaging. Updates from any contact appear in the People app as well, and you can pin any contact to the Start screen, where their updates appear on the live tile.
The Mail app sports a traditional three-pane view and is far more versatile than the Consumer Preview version. Using options in the Settings pane, you can configure whether you want an account to be selectively synchronized (just the most recent two weeks’ worth of messages) or fully synched. That distinction neatly reflects the range of devices on which Windows 8 is likely to run, from tablets with limited storage to full PCs with ample hard disks or SSDs.
The effect is very similar to what Microsoft has done with the Windows Phone platform. Hopefully between now and the final release the designers of this app family will borrow more features from that platform, including the ability to manually link contacts from different sources.
News, Sports, and Travel
Three new showcase apps in the Release preview are tied directly to Microsoft’s Bing search platform. All of them are aggregators, with common designs and navigation features. (They join the Bing-powered Weather and Finance apps, which were in the Consumer Preview.
News aggregates stories from nearly 200 sources in 10 categories as well as regional sources. The home page follows the Metro design principles, with a single large image for the cover story and individual stories in rectangular blocks, grouped by category. You can drill down into one of the predefined categories (World News, Technology, Entertainment, and so on). You can also build your own collection of custom topics and let the app gather stories using the search terms you define.
The Sports app follows a nearly identical model, with a different set of sources and an organization by leagues (the exact selection varies by your geography.
You can personalize the Sports app to include your favorite teams and then pin those tiles to the Start screen, giving you access to live scores and news (updated every 30 seconds), standings, player rosters, and so on.
The Travel app is the most aggressively commercial (and least newsy) of the the three newcomers. It aggregates information from Frommer’s, Fodor’s, and other travel sites to provide a complete overview of travel destinations, complete with some stunning visual panoramas of popular tourist spots. At any point, you can use links to book flights, hotel rooms, and other transactions where, presumably, Microsoft gets a cut.
Digital Media
If you dig into Windows Explorer, you’ll find that these Metro style apps are still called Zune Music and Zune Video in the Packages folder. But they’re branded as Xbox in the apps themselves.
The Music app is promising, although navigating it takes some getting used to. I found it was was able to quickly gather albums and artists from my collection, from both local and network sources, and then play them efficiently. If you have a Zune Pass, as I do, you can search for and play any album that’s available in the 10 million or so in the Zune marketplace.
With the new Music app, there’s no way to separate your collection from the marketplace, and the graphics that play in the background while an album is playing can be incongruous. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Justin Bieber and Kelly Clarkson flashing across the screen as I listened to Doc Watson and Wilco.
The Photos app brings together pictures from local storage and from online services like SkyDrive and Flickr. I was disappointed to find that in this build the Photos library still doesn’t recognize network locations.
And just to confirm what you already suspected: This build does not include Windows Media Center. My review unit didn’t include a DVD drive, but if it had I suspect that it would have been unable to play DVD movies without extra software. Update: Microsoft’s Windows 8 Release Preview FAQ is worth reading. It includes instructions for downloading and enabling Media Center:
The Remote Desktop and Xbox Companion apps from the Consumer Preview are MIA in this release. Presumably they’ll be available from the Windows Store at some point.
All in all, this is an impressive and surprisingly rich release, largely thanks to the diverse collection of apps it includes.
Originally, I thought the choice of name—Release Preview, rather than Release Candidate—was mere semantics. But after seeing this release up close and personal, the name makes perfect sense. This code isn’t finished yet—it will be a few months, no doubt, before it’s released to manufacturing, and then a few months after that before Windows 8 is ready for retail sales.
Between now and then, the collection of Metro style apps from third parties should grow substantially, and Microsoft’s own apps should continue to evolve. What you see here is, literally, still just a preview of what’s to come.
This is a large Multipage, in-depth article
Windows 8 Release Preview has been released to the public and it's actually starting to look a lot better all round.
I've had the Developer Preview installed since it was first released last September and was not that excited at all. The Consumer Preview was an improvement but again can't say I was really feeling the love at all. Now we have the new Windows 8 Release in our hot little hands I have to say it's finally getting it's act together. Things are generally more refined and the whole thing is feeling really fast. I'm definitely impressed with the overall speed of the system.
This release fills in many of the missing pieces and offers a much more nuanced picture of what the final release will look like.
A lot of people consider the Metro-izing of Windows is a strategic blunder, a franchise killer that deserves a place alongside epic failures like New Coke and Star Wars: Episode 1. But if you’ve managed to retain an open mind about Windows 8, the Release Preview goes a long way toward making sense of Windows 8’s controversial design decisions.
If Windows 8 were being developed like its predecessors, the pace of change would be decelerating rapidly at this point, and reviewers would be focusing on the minutiae of system-level tasks. Instead, Microsoft has quickened the development tempo dramatically. To understand why, you have to look at what makes Windows 8 so fundamentally different from its predecessors.
The built-in apps in the Windows 8 Release Preview are way better than those previously released. They actually work !
Here’s a quick summary but it's worth reading the rest of this large article.
• The basic Windows 8 interface is essentially unchanged from what we’ve already seen in the Consumer Preview. It’s more polished and subtly refined, with a number of usability tweaks that have already been documented on the Building Windows 8 blog. Anyone who was expecting Microsoft to bring back the Start button will be disappointed.
• The Windows Store won’t open for business until the Release Preview bits are publicly available, so I wasn’t able to install or use any third-party Metro style apps in my early testing. During the demo, however, I did see a selection of new Metro style apps that included two slick Twitter clients, a much-improved Amazon Kindle Reader, and a smart-looking Wikipedia app. I also saw numerous examples of apps that use the built-in contracts that are part of the Metro development framework—enabling apps to share data without any custom code.
• Microsoft’s new apps make extensive use of Metro features, including live tiles and snapped views, and many individual items can be pinned to the desktop. That makes the Metro style desktop in the Release Preview much less of a collection of brightly colored tiles and more of a continually updated dashboard. That trend is likely to continue with third-party apps.
• The Metro style digital media apps—Music, Photos, and Video—are significantly improved from the versions in the Consumer Preview. Windows Media Center has officially been yanked from this release.though we have found it is able to be enabled. See the next page.
• The single biggest surprise in the Release Preview is that the Metro style version of Internet Explorer will include support for Microsoft-approved sites that use Adobe Flash. The Flash Player isn’t installed as a plugin but is instead a fully integrated part of the browser, managed and updated by Microsoft.
Windows Media Center is not preinstalled in Windows 8 Release Preview. If you want to use Windows Media Center, you need to add it by following these steps:
1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, and then click Search.)
2. Enter add features in the search box, and then tap or click Add features to Windows 8.
3. Tap or click I already have a product key.
4. Enter this product key: MBFBV-W3DP2-2MVKN-PJCQD-KKTF7 and then click Next.
5. Select the checkbox to accept the license terms and then click Add features.
Your PC will restart and Windows Media Center will now be on your PC and the tile will be pinned to the Start screen.
Most of what’s new in the traditional operating system part of Windows 8 is simply polish and refinement of what we’ve seen already. The Consumer Preview was already impressively fast to start, shut down, and switch between apps. This release feels even zippier, although I can’t confirm that with a formal benchmark.
You’ll find more color choices in the colors for the Start screen, along with some new default images for the lock screen.
A few usability tweaks to the way hot corners work should deal with grumbling about how those new navigation features work. The Windows 8 design team has added Labels to thumbnails in the Windows key+tab app switcher (as shown here). The Start screen thumbnail in the lower left corner is smaller than in the Consumer Preview, making it less likely that you’ll confuse it with a clickable icon.
The behavior of the corners on the right side of the display has changed subtly so that revealing the Charms menu feels less like a task where you have to unlock an achievement. And there are some very big changes to the way multi-monitor setups work, including the ability to view and snap Metro style apps on either screen. (I didn’t have a mini-HDMI adapter so couldn’t test this capability on my review PC.)
I was literally delighted by how well one Windows 8 feature worked. I’ve been using the Consumer Preview full time since February, linked to my Microsoft (nee Windows Live) account. As soon as I signed in to the new device with that username and password, all of my settings, including web favorites, background images, and saved passwords were immediately available.
My SkyDrive files—documents and photos—were available from the Metro style SkyDrive app immediately, although I had to install the desktop SkyDrive app to sync those files with the local hard disk. Installing that app unlocked a very useful new feature that allowed me to fetch photos directly from another synced device.
The Windows desktop showed no major differences. In the interest of eking out a few minutes of additional battery life, especially on underpowered GPUs, Microsoft has removed the glass effects from Aero. Transparency options are still there, but the Vista-style reflections on buttons and other controls are gone. It’s the sort of change you’re unlikely to notice unless you’re looking for it.
Other tiny changes are noticeable if you dig very deep. In the Consumer Preview, for example, every Windows Explorer folder included two tiny buttons in the lower right corner to switch between Details and Large Icons view. Those buttons are gone. (Update: Nope, they’re not gone. My account settings, which were synced to the review unit, had the Windows Explorer status bar hidden. When I changed that setting back to show the status bar, the two small icons reappeared.) Similarly, the button in the lower right corner of the Start screen that allows you to zoom out has changed from a magnifying glass icon to a simple minus sign.
Internet Explorer 10 maintains its dual personality. Several web sites that had given me compatibility fits in the Consumer Preview displayed properly using the updated IE code in the Release preview.
The most intriguing new feature in IE10 is support for some Flash-enabled sites in the Metro style Internet Explorer 10. As Adobe’s Flash Player diagnostic page confirms, this version of IE10 includes the most recent version of Flash Player 11.3 and correctly reports its windows version.
That doesn’t mean you can go to any Flash-powered site and expect it to work. Microsoft is carefully curating the whitelist of apps that can use Flash Player in the Metro style browser and applying it via its own compatibility settings. The most obvious addition is YouTube, which failed on the Consumer Preview but plays properly here. Right-clicking a video clip confirms that it’s using the new Flash Player code.
In this release of IE10, the Do Not Track capability is enabled by default. It’s unclear whether websites will voluntarily agree to stop tracking, however.
The Samsung Series 9 notebook on which I tested this release doesn’t have a touch screen. It does, however, incorporate a new trackpad design. In combination with some admittedly early (and buggy) drivers, the new hardware design recognizes the swipe gestures that work on a touchscreen—swipe in from the right to expose the Charms menu, swipe from the left to switch between running apps, use multi-touch gestures to scroll up down, and side to side. The new gestures can’t be retrofitted to existing trackpads, unfortunately, because those existing devices don’t have subtle enough edge detection.
But the real star of this release, as I mentioned up front, is the greatly improved selection of Metro style apps that are bundled with the Release Preview.
In the Developer Preview released last fall, the only Metro style apps were crude prototypes built by summer interns. With the Consumer Preview, Microsoft tossed those apps and included a new collection of more robust “app previews.”
In this release, the bundled apps are still called previews, but the difference in quality is striking. I’ve focused extensively on the new apps in the companion screenshot gallery for this post. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect.
Communications
The Mail, Calendar, Messaging, and People apps in the Consumer Preview were frankly underwhelming. So it’s remarkable to see how much progress they’ve made in the Release Preview, only 90 days later.
All four apps are tied tightly together. You can connect Hotmail, Google, and Exchange accounts, and their contents appear in separate modules (you can selectively exclude items—if you want your Gmail messages to appear in the Mail app but don’t want Google contacts in the People app, that’s your choice).
In addition, you can connect Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other services. When you do, those contacts appear in the People app, which functions as a global address book for Mail and Messaging. Updates from any contact appear in the People app as well, and you can pin any contact to the Start screen, where their updates appear on the live tile.
The Mail app sports a traditional three-pane view and is far more versatile than the Consumer Preview version. Using options in the Settings pane, you can configure whether you want an account to be selectively synchronized (just the most recent two weeks’ worth of messages) or fully synched. That distinction neatly reflects the range of devices on which Windows 8 is likely to run, from tablets with limited storage to full PCs with ample hard disks or SSDs.
The effect is very similar to what Microsoft has done with the Windows Phone platform. Hopefully between now and the final release the designers of this app family will borrow more features from that platform, including the ability to manually link contacts from different sources.
News, Sports, and Travel
Three new showcase apps in the Release preview are tied directly to Microsoft’s Bing search platform. All of them are aggregators, with common designs and navigation features. (They join the Bing-powered Weather and Finance apps, which were in the Consumer Preview.
News aggregates stories from nearly 200 sources in 10 categories as well as regional sources. The home page follows the Metro design principles, with a single large image for the cover story and individual stories in rectangular blocks, grouped by category. You can drill down into one of the predefined categories (World News, Technology, Entertainment, and so on). You can also build your own collection of custom topics and let the app gather stories using the search terms you define.
The Sports app follows a nearly identical model, with a different set of sources and an organization by leagues (the exact selection varies by your geography.
You can personalize the Sports app to include your favorite teams and then pin those tiles to the Start screen, giving you access to live scores and news (updated every 30 seconds), standings, player rosters, and so on.
The Travel app is the most aggressively commercial (and least newsy) of the the three newcomers. It aggregates information from Frommer’s, Fodor’s, and other travel sites to provide a complete overview of travel destinations, complete with some stunning visual panoramas of popular tourist spots. At any point, you can use links to book flights, hotel rooms, and other transactions where, presumably, Microsoft gets a cut.
Digital Media
If you dig into Windows Explorer, you’ll find that these Metro style apps are still called Zune Music and Zune Video in the Packages folder. But they’re branded as Xbox in the apps themselves.
The Music app is promising, although navigating it takes some getting used to. I found it was was able to quickly gather albums and artists from my collection, from both local and network sources, and then play them efficiently. If you have a Zune Pass, as I do, you can search for and play any album that’s available in the 10 million or so in the Zune marketplace.
With the new Music app, there’s no way to separate your collection from the marketplace, and the graphics that play in the background while an album is playing can be incongruous. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Justin Bieber and Kelly Clarkson flashing across the screen as I listened to Doc Watson and Wilco.
The Photos app brings together pictures from local storage and from online services like SkyDrive and Flickr. I was disappointed to find that in this build the Photos library still doesn’t recognize network locations.
And just to confirm what you already suspected: This build does not include Windows Media Center. My review unit didn’t include a DVD drive, but if it had I suspect that it would have been unable to play DVD movies without extra software. Update: Microsoft’s Windows 8 Release Preview FAQ is worth reading. It includes instructions for downloading and enabling Media Center:
The Remote Desktop and Xbox Companion apps from the Consumer Preview are MIA in this release. Presumably they’ll be available from the Windows Store at some point.
All in all, this is an impressive and surprisingly rich release, largely thanks to the diverse collection of apps it includes.
Originally, I thought the choice of name—Release Preview, rather than Release Candidate—was mere semantics. But after seeing this release up close and personal, the name makes perfect sense. This code isn’t finished yet—it will be a few months, no doubt, before it’s released to manufacturing, and then a few months after that before Windows 8 is ready for retail sales.
Between now and then, the collection of Metro style apps from third parties should grow substantially, and Microsoft’s own apps should continue to evolve. What you see here is, literally, still just a preview of what’s to come.
Thunderbolt on Windows finally appears.
Sat, May 12 2012 05:37
| Windows
www.tech-sanity.com
Thunderbolt is finally making it's way to Windows OS. The 10-gigabit interface, after being available for more than a year on the Mac OS only will be welcomed by many. Of course how well the Apple- and Intel-developed connection works on Microsofts Windows platform is yet to be thoroughly tested. That is until now. AnandTech has given one of the first motherboards to support the spec on Windows PCs, an Ivy Bridge-ready board from MSI, a good roasting. It sure looks positive in most areas along with a few flies in the high-speed ointment. The good news? Most general storage devices will work fantastically and you can even get some features of Apple's Thunderbolt Display working if you're willing to accept a lack of pre-supplied software brightness controls and USB support but no doubt someone will eventually sort something out here. The bad news comes mostly in the absence of true hot-plugging which the Mac has: if a device isn't plugged into the Thunderbolt port on boot, Windows won't see it. Professionals who need everything to be just perfect will want to wait, then, but bandwidth lovers will still find something to like if they're willing to build Thunderbolt-equipped PCs themselves.
Thunderbolt is finally making it's way to Windows OS. The 10-gigabit interface, after being available for more than a year on the Mac OS only will be welcomed by many. Of course how well the Apple- and Intel-developed connection works on Microsofts Windows platform is yet to be thoroughly tested. That is until now. AnandTech has given one of the first motherboards to support the spec on Windows PCs, an Ivy Bridge-ready board from MSI, a good roasting. It sure looks positive in most areas along with a few flies in the high-speed ointment. The good news? Most general storage devices will work fantastically and you can even get some features of Apple's Thunderbolt Display working if you're willing to accept a lack of pre-supplied software brightness controls and USB support but no doubt someone will eventually sort something out here. The bad news comes mostly in the absence of true hot-plugging which the Mac has: if a device isn't plugged into the Thunderbolt port on boot, Windows won't see it. Professionals who need everything to be just perfect will want to wait, then, but bandwidth lovers will still find something to like if they're willing to build Thunderbolt-equipped PCs themselves.
Flash exploit fix for all platforms released by Adobe; Windows users grab it especially.
www.tech-sanity.com
Adobe has released a security update for all versions of Flash Player, addressing a security exploit that it says is already being used in the wild. According to a security bulletin posted Friday, the vulnerability could cause Flash to crash, and in the process allow an attacker to take control of a user's system. The company notes that it has received reports that the exploit is already being taken advantage of by attackers via email; clicking on a malicious file attachment initiates the attack on a vulnerable system. The cited attack is currently targeted only at Internet Explorer users on Windows, but the vulnerability itself is present in Flash Player for Windows, OS X, Linux, and Android.
Computer users are urged to update to Flash Player version 11.2.202.235 by visiting Adobe's website; Android users can update via the Google Play Store (version 11.1.115.8 for Ice Cream Sandwich and 11.1.111.9 for devices running Android 3.0 or earlier). Google Chrome users should already be safe, as the browser's built-in implementation of Flash updates automatically — though of course if you have Flash installed on your overall system as well you'll need to address that update directly. You can visit the Flash "about" page to determine what version of the software your machine is currently running.
Adobe has released a security update for all versions of Flash Player, addressing a security exploit that it says is already being used in the wild. According to a security bulletin posted Friday, the vulnerability could cause Flash to crash, and in the process allow an attacker to take control of a user's system. The company notes that it has received reports that the exploit is already being taken advantage of by attackers via email; clicking on a malicious file attachment initiates the attack on a vulnerable system. The cited attack is currently targeted only at Internet Explorer users on Windows, but the vulnerability itself is present in Flash Player for Windows, OS X, Linux, and Android.
Computer users are urged to update to Flash Player version 11.2.202.235 by visiting Adobe's website; Android users can update via the Google Play Store (version 11.1.115.8 for Ice Cream Sandwich and 11.1.111.9 for devices running Android 3.0 or earlier). Google Chrome users should already be safe, as the browser's built-in implementation of Flash updates automatically — though of course if you have Flash installed on your overall system as well you'll need to address that update directly. You can visit the Flash "about" page to determine what version of the software your machine is currently running.
Windows 8 -The Trojan Horse of Smart Phones
Mon, Apr 23 2012 08:10
| Windows, Smartphones
www.tech-sanity.com
Today I was reading a few reports on how Nokia seems to be going down the tubes. Evidently It's burning it's cash reserves and it's quarterly reports are not looking good. People seem to think they are in trouble, heading down a dead end road and that choosing WIndow's Phone and hooking up with an exclusive deal with Microsoft (which effectively has shut out any deals to load Android on their smart phones) was a big mistake.
I have to agree thats on the surface of things it's not looking great for either Nokia or Windows phone in general. But we need to remember that Microsoft, tends to be slow at moving and is often late to the game. But Microsoft also has a long history of destroying the competition when they finally get there. I can't see them backing off here at all. Sure Android has stolen a lot of the low end market which has been Nokia's traditional cash cow. Things do change though. I predict a transition is happening in the current smartphone market from a 2 horse race to one with a solid third horse nipping at the others heals and who knows maybe eventually pushing up front with the current leaders . Nothing stays constant in Tech. The public , as Nokia has found this quarter, can turn their back very quickly on a company they are loyal too and head off in another direction.
So what am I seeing here? Its seems that there is a Trijan horse lurking in the wings. One that could, as all Trojan horses are suppose to, slide in the back door looking all innocent, but then release a surprise that can cause a real stir. Ok I here most of you saying that I am being ridiculous here. This isn't going to happen, Nokia is going down and Android is gonna finish them off in the next 12 months. That Windows phone is dead in the water. Sure the Lumina is a nice phone but even the European carriers are saying, "no thanks". Give us Android.
My predictions is based on the imminent release of Windows 8. Over the next 2 years I see it unfolding like this.
Windows 8 will be released. It will be shoved in the have of millions of PC users who will have no choose when they buy a new system. They are going to grumble and then over time get use to and dear I say even begin to like certain things about the Metro interface. Metro being whats basically on a Windows Smartphone will start to become very familiar to people and they will find it a lot easier to accept the different interface it presents. They will start to see that this is awesome on a smartphone and a tablet, a lot more than it is on their desktop system. So there is the trojan horse. The Windows 8 Metro interface which is the Windows smartphone interface which is the Nokia smartphone interface (amongst other smartphone manufacturers) It'll take time, but it will happen. Microsoft knows how to come from behind, it has a money the marketing and most of all the weight of Windows desktop OS behind it. Thats a huge weight and realm of influence.
Today I was reading a few reports on how Nokia seems to be going down the tubes. Evidently It's burning it's cash reserves and it's quarterly reports are not looking good. People seem to think they are in trouble, heading down a dead end road and that choosing WIndow's Phone and hooking up with an exclusive deal with Microsoft (which effectively has shut out any deals to load Android on their smart phones) was a big mistake.
I have to agree thats on the surface of things it's not looking great for either Nokia or Windows phone in general. But we need to remember that Microsoft, tends to be slow at moving and is often late to the game. But Microsoft also has a long history of destroying the competition when they finally get there. I can't see them backing off here at all. Sure Android has stolen a lot of the low end market which has been Nokia's traditional cash cow. Things do change though. I predict a transition is happening in the current smartphone market from a 2 horse race to one with a solid third horse nipping at the others heals and who knows maybe eventually pushing up front with the current leaders . Nothing stays constant in Tech. The public , as Nokia has found this quarter, can turn their back very quickly on a company they are loyal too and head off in another direction.
So what am I seeing here? Its seems that there is a Trijan horse lurking in the wings. One that could, as all Trojan horses are suppose to, slide in the back door looking all innocent, but then release a surprise that can cause a real stir. Ok I here most of you saying that I am being ridiculous here. This isn't going to happen, Nokia is going down and Android is gonna finish them off in the next 12 months. That Windows phone is dead in the water. Sure the Lumina is a nice phone but even the European carriers are saying, "no thanks". Give us Android.
My predictions is based on the imminent release of Windows 8. Over the next 2 years I see it unfolding like this.
Windows 8 will be released. It will be shoved in the have of millions of PC users who will have no choose when they buy a new system. They are going to grumble and then over time get use to and dear I say even begin to like certain things about the Metro interface. Metro being whats basically on a Windows Smartphone will start to become very familiar to people and they will find it a lot easier to accept the different interface it presents. They will start to see that this is awesome on a smartphone and a tablet, a lot more than it is on their desktop system. So there is the trojan horse. The Windows 8 Metro interface which is the Windows smartphone interface which is the Nokia smartphone interface (amongst other smartphone manufacturers) It'll take time, but it will happen. Microsoft knows how to come from behind, it has a money the marketing and most of all the weight of Windows desktop OS behind it. Thats a huge weight and realm of influence.
Microsoft Announces Windows 8 versions including an ARM version.
www.tech-sanity.com
Microsoft has just announced its full suite of Windows 8 editions, and the major news is that Windows on ARM processors will be officially called "Windows RT." It'll join Windows 8 and the newly-announced Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise, which add features like virtualization and encryption to Windows 8. As previously rumored, Windows Media Center will be a separate add-on to Windows 8 Pro. The split in names is notable: "Windows 8" is for x86 machines, while Windows RT will signify ARM processors and a distinctly different experience for consumers.
“WINDOWS RT IS A WHOLE NEW APPROACH FOR MICROSOFT
”
Specifically, Windows RT will not be sold separately, but only available pre-installed on new machines with ARM processors. That's a major change in the way Microsoft has traditionally sold Windows, and it underscores a more integrated approach to ARM-powered devices like tablets. Windows RT will also include the Office suite as we previously reported, but no other desktop apps can be installed on ARM machines — the focus instead will be on Metro apps built using the new WinRT development environment. Windows RT will also lack the traditional Windows Media Player and most of the enterprise features found in Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise.
It's an interesting move for Microsoft — the company is insistent that "all editions of Windows 8 offer a no-compromise experience," but by segmenting ARM devices off into Windows RT, it's able to dramatically limit the functionality of the desktop and restrict the final feature list. That's a major change in strategy and messaging from the past few months, but we'll have to see if Microsoft's plan is to build Windows RT into something that's more closely like Windows 8 — or something else entirely.
Microsoft has just announced its full suite of Windows 8 editions, and the major news is that Windows on ARM processors will be officially called "Windows RT." It'll join Windows 8 and the newly-announced Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise, which add features like virtualization and encryption to Windows 8. As previously rumored, Windows Media Center will be a separate add-on to Windows 8 Pro. The split in names is notable: "Windows 8" is for x86 machines, while Windows RT will signify ARM processors and a distinctly different experience for consumers.“WINDOWS RT IS A WHOLE NEW APPROACH FOR MICROSOFT
”
Specifically, Windows RT will not be sold separately, but only available pre-installed on new machines with ARM processors. That's a major change in the way Microsoft has traditionally sold Windows, and it underscores a more integrated approach to ARM-powered devices like tablets. Windows RT will also include the Office suite as we previously reported, but no other desktop apps can be installed on ARM machines — the focus instead will be on Metro apps built using the new WinRT development environment. Windows RT will also lack the traditional Windows Media Player and most of the enterprise features found in Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise.
It's an interesting move for Microsoft — the company is insistent that "all editions of Windows 8 offer a no-compromise experience," but by segmenting ARM devices off into Windows RT, it's able to dramatically limit the functionality of the desktop and restrict the final feature list. That's a major change in strategy and messaging from the past few months, but we'll have to see if Microsoft's plan is to build Windows RT into something that's more closely like Windows 8 — or something else entirely.
Microsoft ends XP patches in 2014
www.tech-sanity.com
Five years after its release, the largely forgotten Windows Vista is moving out of the "mainstream" support period. Starting today, consumers will still get security updates for free, but everyone without a commercial support contract will need to pay for bug fixes or other patches. In April 2017, this "extended" support will also end, and both consumer and commercial users will be on their own, without security or other updates (although security fixes may be offered in special cases.)
That final cutoff date is approaching rather sooner for Windows XP users, who now have two years to upgrade to a new OS before extended support cuts off. XP stayed in mainstream support for several years longer than Vista, which got only the minimum five years. That's only indirectly because of XP's popularity, though: Microsoft tailors its support period based on how long it's been since the latest version of Windows was released, and there was a significant gap between XP and Vista. Microsoft has more information on its lifecycle page.
Five years after its release, the largely forgotten Windows Vista is moving out of the "mainstream" support period. Starting today, consumers will still get security updates for free, but everyone without a commercial support contract will need to pay for bug fixes or other patches. In April 2017, this "extended" support will also end, and both consumer and commercial users will be on their own, without security or other updates (although security fixes may be offered in special cases.)
That final cutoff date is approaching rather sooner for Windows XP users, who now have two years to upgrade to a new OS before extended support cuts off. XP stayed in mainstream support for several years longer than Vista, which got only the minimum five years. That's only indirectly because of XP's popularity, though: Microsoft tailors its support period based on how long it's been since the latest version of Windows was released, and there was a significant gap between XP and Vista. Microsoft has more information on its lifecycle page.
XBMC 11.0 - Eden released
www.tech-sanity.com
It's been over a year in development so it's great news that the latest major release of XBMC (11.0) is finally ready and available for download. You can find XBMC 11.0 here.
XBMC 11.0 Milestones include Addon Rollbacks, vast improvements in Confluence (the default skin), massive speed increases via features like Dirty-region rendering and the new JPEG decoder, a simpler, better library, movie set scraping, additional protocol handling, better networking support, better handling of unencrypted BluRay content and structures, adjustable display refresh rate in OSX (to match the already available feature in Windows and Linux), AirPlay support, an upgraded weather service with geoip lookup, and much, much more. Check out the highlights in the summarized changelog.
It's been over a year in development so it's great news that the latest major release of XBMC (11.0) is finally ready and available for download. You can find XBMC 11.0 here.
XBMC 11.0 Milestones include Addon Rollbacks, vast improvements in Confluence (the default skin), massive speed increases via features like Dirty-region rendering and the new JPEG decoder, a simpler, better library, movie set scraping, additional protocol handling, better networking support, better handling of unencrypted BluRay content and structures, adjustable display refresh rate in OSX (to match the already available feature in Windows and Linux), AirPlay support, an upgraded weather service with geoip lookup, and much, much more. Check out the highlights in the summarized changelog.
The new Confluence
In addition to our many software improvements, we’ve increased our reach in the realm of hardware support since Dharma was released. Eden marks the first in-sync stable release for the Apple TV2, iPad, and other iOS devices. We’ve vastly improved the method by which we handle input, including heavily upgrading JSON-RPC support, making remote control support much, MUCH simpler in Windows, and enabling unique methods of device communication with hardware. And now even AMD devices are supported for GPU video decoding in Linux to some extent, thanks to the inclusion of VAAPI.
Beyond XBMC 11 for Windows, Linux, OSX, and iOS, we are also happy to announce XBMCbuntu Final.
XBMCbuntu is very similar to past versions of XBMC Live. By default, the user boots directly into XBMC, and if he/she chooses, he or she will never see the underlying OS. However, unlike Live, XBMCbuntu is now built upon a full LXDE desktop environment, which has a web browser (Chromium) with a fully updated (and updatable) version of Flash built-in and a GUI package manager ready to install and update all of the normal Ubuntu programs a typical Linux user might use. The user may now toggle between XBMC, which auto-starts, and a normal desktop if he or she chooses. And, perhaps most exciting for many users, XBMC will now be upgradeable, both from command line and from the GUI package manager, without fear of crashing the XBMC experience.
Naturally, those users who do not want to see the desktop will never need to. When you boot your computer, you will be booted directly into the XBMC homescreen, just as you are right now. The only clear difference is the new power underneath the hood. Those users who have already installed the Beta version of XBMCbuntu can upgrade to final using the apt-get upgrade commands.
There are truly an incredible number of updates and improvements between Dharma and Eden. But don’t take our word for it. Download XBMC 11.0 Eden now.
Firefox to Get a ‘Metro’ Makeover for Windows 8
www.tech-sanity.com
Mozilla is breaking ground on a new effort to update the Firefox web browser for Microsoft’s coming Windows 8.
Firefox for Windows 8 was announced earlier this year and will support both the traditional desktop Windows environment and the new Metro interface designed for tablets and other touchscreen devices.
While Apple’s App Store rules don’t allow Firefox to run on iOS devices, Mozilla has already created a tablet-friendly version of Firefox for Android and is now hoping to do the same for Windows 8.
According to the team already at work on Firefox for Windows 8, Firefox will take a hybrid approach to Windows 8′s dual desktop and Metro modes. The desktop and Metro options aren’t the only way to develop for Windows 8; there is in fact a third path — “Metro style enabled desktop browsers.” These hybrid apps can be run as desktop applications or as Metro apps. The hybrid approach means that Firefox will work as it always has for those that choose to ignore Metro, but will also fit in with Metro for those that prefer it.
There’s another reason for choosing the hybrid route — Metro style enabled desktop browsers have the ability to run outside of the Metro sandbox. Metro style enabled desktop browsers have access to most of the Win32 API and the entire new WinRT API.
As Mozilla developer Brian Bondy writes in a recent blog post, taking the hybrid approach will give Firefox more power: “We can build a powerful browser which gives an experience equal to that of a classic Desktop browser.”
That doesn’t mean that everything with Firefox 8 for Windows will be smooth sailing though. For example, the current rules for the Metro environment allow for only one browser in Metro mode. That means that if you don’t set Firefox to be the default browser then it can’t be used in Metro mode. Given how few users change the default settings, most may never even realize that Firefox can run in Metro mode.
Bondy also points out that it remains to be seen whether or not Microsoft will let a hybrid Firefox in the coming Windows Store since it won’t technically be a Metro application. Other unknowns include whether or not Firefox for Windows 8 will work with the ARM-based version of Windows 8 or whether that will require another port.
Mozilla is breaking ground on a new effort to update the Firefox web browser for Microsoft’s coming Windows 8.
Firefox for Windows 8 was announced earlier this year and will support both the traditional desktop Windows environment and the new Metro interface designed for tablets and other touchscreen devices.
While Apple’s App Store rules don’t allow Firefox to run on iOS devices, Mozilla has already created a tablet-friendly version of Firefox for Android and is now hoping to do the same for Windows 8.
According to the team already at work on Firefox for Windows 8, Firefox will take a hybrid approach to Windows 8′s dual desktop and Metro modes. The desktop and Metro options aren’t the only way to develop for Windows 8; there is in fact a third path — “Metro style enabled desktop browsers.” These hybrid apps can be run as desktop applications or as Metro apps. The hybrid approach means that Firefox will work as it always has for those that choose to ignore Metro, but will also fit in with Metro for those that prefer it.
There’s another reason for choosing the hybrid route — Metro style enabled desktop browsers have the ability to run outside of the Metro sandbox. Metro style enabled desktop browsers have access to most of the Win32 API and the entire new WinRT API.
As Mozilla developer Brian Bondy writes in a recent blog post, taking the hybrid approach will give Firefox more power: “We can build a powerful browser which gives an experience equal to that of a classic Desktop browser.”
That doesn’t mean that everything with Firefox 8 for Windows will be smooth sailing though. For example, the current rules for the Metro environment allow for only one browser in Metro mode. That means that if you don’t set Firefox to be the default browser then it can’t be used in Metro mode. Given how few users change the default settings, most may never even realize that Firefox can run in Metro mode.
Bondy also points out that it remains to be seen whether or not Microsoft will let a hybrid Firefox in the coming Windows Store since it won’t technically be a Metro application. Other unknowns include whether or not Firefox for Windows 8 will work with the ARM-based version of Windows 8 or whether that will require another port.
Parallels Desktop Update Supports Windows 8 Preview, Mountain Lion
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Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac has been updated to provide experimental support for Windows 8 Consumer Preview, including simple download and automatic installation of Windows 8 via the Parallels New Virtual Machine Wizard.
The update also adds experimental support for OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview as both a host and guest. Now Mac enthusiasts and developers alike can safely try Windows 8 Consumer Preview and OS X Mountain Lion in Parallels Desktop 7 virtual machines to protect their Mac from potential mishaps or corruption of important files that can occur with preview versions of software, says Parallels CEO Birger Steen.
Additionally, Parallels Mobile users can remotely access and control their Mac as well as its Windows 8 and OS X Mountain Lion virtual machines, applications and files, via their iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. A free trial of the No. 1-selling Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac software is available for download at http://www.parallels.com/desktop. Current Parallels Desktop 7 users can get the update by selecting the Parallels Desktop menu and clicking Check for Updates.
Parallels allows you to get and automatically install the free Windows 8 Consumer Preview by going to the Parallels Desktop menu and selecting File, New and Windows 8 Consumer Preview in the Parallels New Virtual Machine Wizard. In just a few clicks, Parallels Desktop 7 automatically downloads and installs Windows 8 Consumer Preview (English, German, French, Japanese or Chinese simplified) in a new virtual machine so you can discover and play with the dramatically redesigned Windows operating system and use your Mac OS X applications and files at the same time – without rebooting.
Microsoft recommends that users don’t install Windows 8 Consumer Preview on their primary machine, given that is not a final version and could crash, causing the loss or corruption of important files. If Windows 8 crashes or corrupts files when it is running in a Parallels Desktop 7, you can simply delete the Windows 8 virtual machine and start over without any damage to your Mac.
Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac has been updated to provide experimental support for Windows 8 Consumer Preview, including simple download and automatic installation of Windows 8 via the Parallels New Virtual Machine Wizard.
The update also adds experimental support for OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview as both a host and guest. Now Mac enthusiasts and developers alike can safely try Windows 8 Consumer Preview and OS X Mountain Lion in Parallels Desktop 7 virtual machines to protect their Mac from potential mishaps or corruption of important files that can occur with preview versions of software, says Parallels CEO Birger Steen.
Additionally, Parallels Mobile users can remotely access and control their Mac as well as its Windows 8 and OS X Mountain Lion virtual machines, applications and files, via their iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. A free trial of the No. 1-selling Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac software is available for download at http://www.parallels.com/desktop. Current Parallels Desktop 7 users can get the update by selecting the Parallels Desktop menu and clicking Check for Updates.
Parallels allows you to get and automatically install the free Windows 8 Consumer Preview by going to the Parallels Desktop menu and selecting File, New and Windows 8 Consumer Preview in the Parallels New Virtual Machine Wizard. In just a few clicks, Parallels Desktop 7 automatically downloads and installs Windows 8 Consumer Preview (English, German, French, Japanese or Chinese simplified) in a new virtual machine so you can discover and play with the dramatically redesigned Windows operating system and use your Mac OS X applications and files at the same time – without rebooting.
Microsoft recommends that users don’t install Windows 8 Consumer Preview on their primary machine, given that is not a final version and could crash, causing the loss or corruption of important files. If Windows 8 crashes or corrupts files when it is running in a Parallels Desktop 7, you can simply delete the Windows 8 virtual machine and start over without any damage to your Mac.
Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions
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From Engadget
The early days of Windows were inauspicious ones. Sitting on top of DOS, it was hardly a revolution in personal computing -- instead it felt like a disjointed platform perched uncomfortably atop a command prompt, ready to come crashing down at any moment. That's what it was, and often that's what it did. The early days of Windows required constant jumps from GUI to shell as users ran a wide assortment of apps, only some of which played nice inside a window.
It was over a decade later, after Windows 95, that the operating system would truly ditch its DOS underpinnings and feel like a totally integrated system. Why are we reminiscing? Because we're reaching that same point again. With the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft is showing off the most complete version of the company's most modern operating system, yet in many ways it feels like 1985 all over again -- like there are two separate systems here struggling to co-exist. How well do they get along? Click Read More below to see the lot!
From Engadget
The early days of Windows were inauspicious ones. Sitting on top of DOS, it was hardly a revolution in personal computing -- instead it felt like a disjointed platform perched uncomfortably atop a command prompt, ready to come crashing down at any moment. That's what it was, and often that's what it did. The early days of Windows required constant jumps from GUI to shell as users ran a wide assortment of apps, only some of which played nice inside a window.
It was over a decade later, after Windows 95, that the operating system would truly ditch its DOS underpinnings and feel like a totally integrated system. Why are we reminiscing? Because we're reaching that same point again. With the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft is showing off the most complete version of the company's most modern operating system, yet in many ways it feels like 1985 all over again -- like there are two separate systems here struggling to co-exist. How well do they get along? Click Read More below to see the lot!
Microsoft readies final Windows 8 Consumer Preview build 8250
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Microsoft is on the verge of signing off the final version of its Windows 8 Consumer Preview. That is the word from a number of sources who tell us that the company has stopped compiling beta builds of Windows 8. The final build will be signed off officially on Friday and is expected to be numbered 8250.
Microsoft will unveil its Windows 8 Consumer Preview work during a special event at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next Wednesday. We are told that the company will release the preview to the public at the beginning of the event, which kicks off at 3PM CET (9AM ET). Build 8250 includes a number of preinstalled games and applications, as well as the new Windows 8 logo. Microsoft has also removed the traditional Start button orb in build 8250, replacing it with the new logo on the charms bar. We will be reporting live from Microsoft's MWC event, so stay tuned for the full details on Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
HP x86 Windows 8 PCs will be available by the holidays.
www.tech-sanity.com
On HP's earnings call today CEO Meg Whitman told reporters that the company "will be well positioned on Windows 8 x86 by the holidays" — confirming that the world's largest PC maker will release a product that runs the new operating system by years' end. With HP's less-than-stellar quarter, the CEO noted the company's dependance on Windows, saying that the better Windows 8 is, the better the computer manufacturer will do. While Windows 8 availability isn't yet known, it's expected to be released around October of this year. Meg Whitman hopes Microsoft sticks to that schedule, saying that "we're rooting for a fantastic Windows 8 product that's out on time for holiday." The CEO only mentioned x86 systems, so it's not known if the company has any plans to join Microsoft in support oflow-powered ARM chips in Windows 8.
On HP's earnings call today CEO Meg Whitman told reporters that the company "will be well positioned on Windows 8 x86 by the holidays" — confirming that the world's largest PC maker will release a product that runs the new operating system by years' end. With HP's less-than-stellar quarter, the CEO noted the company's dependance on Windows, saying that the better Windows 8 is, the better the computer manufacturer will do. While Windows 8 availability isn't yet known, it's expected to be released around October of this year. Meg Whitman hopes Microsoft sticks to that schedule, saying that "we're rooting for a fantastic Windows 8 product that's out on time for holiday." The CEO only mentioned x86 systems, so it's not known if the company has any plans to join Microsoft in support oflow-powered ARM chips in Windows 8.
Paul Thurott: Windows 8 Secrets: Windows 8 Is Not Dropping The Start Button
Sat, Feb 11 2012 01:31
| Windows
www.tech-sanity.com
There's been a lot of silliness and angst about Windows 8 supposedly dropping the Start button, the first time this central user interface has been absent from Windows since its debut in 1995. There's just one problem: The Start button isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's being made more prominent than ever in Windows 8.
To understand what I mean by this, consider the recent news that the Start button--more correctly called the Start Orb, but whatever--has been removed from Consumer Preview-era builds of Windows 8. I corroborated this rumor in my own post, logically titled Start Orb Removed In Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
To understand what I mean by this, consider the recent news that the Start button--more correctly called the Start Orb, but whatever--has been removed from Consumer Preview-era builds of Windows 8. I corroborated this rumor in my own post, logically titled Start Orb Removed In Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
Microsoft gets it right with Windows 8 on ARM?
Sat, Feb 11 2012 01:15
| Windows
www.tech-sanity.com
Yesterday Microsoft published a details piece over on the Building Windows 8 blog which looked at how the company took the x86 Windows that we know, and re-imagined it for the ARM architecture. Then, early this morning I got the opportunity to take a look at a pre-release version of the Windows on ARM (WOA) code running on a real machine, and I’m now more convinced than I’ve ever been that Microsoft has got it right.
Let’s start with the official blog post. This long and detailed post (we expect no less from the Building Windows 8 blog team), we get a lot of answers to questions that have been floating around for weeks. Specifically:
Yesterday Microsoft published a details piece over on the Building Windows 8 blog which looked at how the company took the x86 Windows that we know, and re-imagined it for the ARM architecture. Then, early this morning I got the opportunity to take a look at a pre-release version of the Windows on ARM (WOA) code running on a real machine, and I’m now more convinced than I’ve ever been that Microsoft has got it right.
Let’s start with the official blog post. This long and detailed post (we expect no less from the Building Windows 8 blog team), we get a lot of answers to questions that have been floating around for weeks. Specifically:
- ‘Out of the box’ experience will look and feel just like Windows 8 on x86/x64 hardware.
- The Windows desktop will still be available on WOA devices.
- Tools such as the Windows File Explorer and Internet Explorer will be available.
- PC makers will ship WOA devices at the same time as Windows 8 PCs ship.
- WOA will include Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
- WOA will not support any type of virtualization or emulation approach, and will not enable existing x86/64 applications to be ported or run because of the adverse effect this would have on battery life.
- Microsoft is working to deliver WOA PCs that will combine three features: Thin and light in industrial design, long battery life, and integrated quality.
- WOA PCs will be clearly labeled and branded so as to avoid customer confusion with Windows 8 on x86/64.
- WOA will not be available as a software-only distribution.
- A WOA PC/device will feel more like a consumer electronics device rather than a traditional PC.
Windows on ARM, Microsoft’s New Tablet Platform
Sat, Feb 11 2012 01:04
| Windows
www.tech-sanity.com
Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky Presents Windows 8 at BUILD. Image courtesy Microsoft
Microsoft has good news for mobile users: the next version of Windows will indeed run full-sized desktop applications on low-power-optimized ARM-based tablets for use with a desktop and mouse. But Windows on ARM comes with caveats for users and developers. The only desktop applications approved to appear on ARM devices will be those built by Microsoft: Internet Explorer, Office, the desktop and file explorer, and other elements of Windows itself.
Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky Presents Windows 8 at BUILD. Image courtesy Microsoft
Microsoft has good news for mobile users: the next version of Windows will indeed run full-sized desktop applications on low-power-optimized ARM-based tablets for use with a desktop and mouse. But Windows on ARM comes with caveats for users and developers. The only desktop applications approved to appear on ARM devices will be those built by Microsoft: Internet Explorer, Office, the desktop and file explorer, and other elements of Windows itself.
Court orders Lenovo to refund buyer for unwanted bundled Windows license
Thu, Feb 9 2012 12:15
| Windows
Microsoft currently testing its own smartphone, says WSJBy Sam Byford on November 2, 2012 12:51 am Email @345triangle98COMMENTS34LikeTweet140This page has been shared 140 times. View these Tweets.85inShareMicrosoft surprised the world earlier this year when it moved into producing its own computer hardware with the Surface, but the company's plans may not stop there. According to the Wall Street
Microsoft to launch Windows 8 Consumer Preview at MWC
Thu, Feb 9 2012 12:04
| Windows
Microsoft currently testing its own smartphone, says WSJBy Sam Byford on November 2, 2012 12:51 am Email @345triangle98COMMENTS34LikeTweet140This page has been shared 140 times. View these Tweets.85inShareMicrosoft surprised the world earlier this year when it moved into producing its own computer hardware with the Surface, but the company's plans may not stop there. According to the Wall Street
Windows Phone 8 detailed: dual cores, Skype Integration and NFC
Fri, Feb 3 2012 01:51
| Windows, Smartphones
Microsoft currently testing its own smartphone, says WSJBy Sam Byford on November 2, 2012 12:51 am Email @345triangle98COMMENTS34LikeTweet140This page has been shared 140 times. View these Tweets.85inShareMicrosoft surprised the world earlier this year when it moved into producing its own computer hardware with the Surface, but the company's plans may not stop there. According to the Wall Street
Windows 8 file management.
Microsoft currently testing its own smartphone, says WSJBy Sam Byford on November 2, 2012 12:51 am Email @345triangle98COMMENTS34LikeTweet140This page has been shared 140 times. View these Tweets.85inShareMicrosoft surprised the world earlier this year when it moved into producing its own computer hardware with the Surface, but the company's plans may not stop there. According to the Wall Street